Over the Rainbow and Back to You
by pikaace
Summary: Based on The Wizard of Oz. When Layton, Emmy, and Luke travel to Monte d'Or to visit Layton's old friends, Luke can't help but feel left out. But after getting caught in a storm, Luke finds himself in a magical land full of strange creatures. All Luke wants is to get home, but with a wicked witch after him, will Luke be able to even make it back alive?
1. A Place Without any Trouble

**Honestly, this plot bunny refused to go away no matter how many times I shot it. This started out as just a blurb I wrote down and it just mutated into this.**

**This should be another short one, and I'll admit, it feels nice to give Professor Layton a try (considering most of the Layton fanfics I find are complete shit) Anyway, I hope you like the Wizard of Oz cause we're about to go on a journey!**

**Oh, and this fic takes place a number of months after Miracle Mask (so, spoilers), and just before Azran Legacy. And minor spoilers for future games as well. (Looking at YOU Unwound Future)**

**Hope you like it and I apologize in advance if characters are OOC since it's my first time writing these guys!**

* * *

The sun rose, marking another peaceful day in Monte d'Or. Months had passed since the Masked Gentleman incident and the city was as peaceful as ever. Repairs had been made, people had adjusted to the new raised levels of the city, and everything was back to normal.

Luke stretched as he, the Professor and Emmy exited from the Dromedary hotel. They had all been invited to visit by Randall now that the city was no longer threatened.

"It sure is nice to see the city booming again." Emmy said, as they walked out to the busy streets.

"Yes, the repairs done to the city have been very well done." The Professor agreed.

"Mr. Ascot said he wanted to meet us at the racetrack, right?" Luke asked.

Layton nodded. "That's correct Luke; we never got a chance to watch the races the last time we were here." he said.

"Do you think we'll get to see more sights while we're here?" Luke asked, remembering Tingly Town and the Stellar circus.

The Professor chuckled, "Knowing Randall, that might be the case." They continued down the street when Luke suddenly stopped. He glanced around; he thought he had heard something. His eyes were drawn to an alley way when he heard what sounded like a crash.

Glancing at the Professor and Emmy one last time, Luke jogged into the alley. His eyes widened when he stumbled upon a rusty bucket that was upside down. Luke heard what sounded like whimpering from inside it and he slowly lifted it up. Under the bucket was a tiny puppy. It had dark red fur that was quite scruffy and unkempt. It had no collar and looked quite thin and lanky. He was so small that he barely passed Luke's ankles on all fours.

The dog whined and shivered as Luke knelt down in front of him, "Hello." he said with a small smile. He reached towards the dog, who shied away. "I'm not going to hurt you." Luke said, his heart going out to the terrified creature. "My name's Luke, what's your's?" he asked.

The dog let out a small yip which Luke translated into "Trevor".

"Your name's Trevor?" Luke asked. The dog seemed to brighten at being understood so Luke took that as a yes. "What are you hiding from, Trevor?" Luke asked. Trevor whined and a deep growling filled the air. Luke and Trevor looked up to see a giant dog staring at them.

At first Luke thought it was the big dog belonging to Mr. Dalston, but judging by it's growling, that was not the case. The big dog's words were just downright cruel from what Luke could pick up. It sounded something like, "Get over here you little pipsqueak so I can rip you to shreds!"

Luke frowned as Trevor cowered in fear and stood up. "Why don't you leave Trevor alone?" he asked. The big dog growled again, trying to scare Luke off. Luke tried to keep from shaking in fear and stood his ground, but Trevor wasn't sticking around. He took off, prompting the big dog to go after it.

Luke yelped and ran after Trevor and back into the streets. Luke caught up to Trevor as they ran down the sidewalk and into another alley, the big dog right on their tails. They ran all the way down until they came to the end, but a wooden gate was blocking their way. Thinking fast, Luke scooped Trevor up and began climbing the gate, "Don't worry," he said. "I won't let anything hurt you, I promise."

Luke reached the top of the gate and jumped down on the other side, Trevor jumping to the ground once they were safe. Luke smiled as he heard the bog dog scratching at the gate, his efforts to get through futile.

Trevor barked and wagged his tail. "That was fun!" Was what it translated into.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle, "Yeah, that was kinda fun!" Luke put his hands on his knees to catch his breath and Trevor came up to him and licked his hands, giving a few more barks that translated into, "Thanks a lot for helping me out!"

Luke waved his hand and pet the dog, "It was nothing Trevor." he said. "You should probably get home now, so you don't run into anymore bullies like that." Trevor's tail stopped wagging and he sat down, whining a bit. Luke's eyes widened as he picked up what he was saying. "You don't have a home?" Luke asked.

Trevor whined again, but before Luke could translate they heard loud barking. Luke looked up to see the big dog round the corner before bolting after them. "Run!" Luke cried and he and Trevor took off. Luke ignored the confused stares of passersby and focused on running. "What did you do to upset him so much?" Luke asked as they ran.

Trevor let out a few barely audible whines and yips but Luke managed to make out, "I was just trying to get some food."

"Did you steal it or something?" Luke asked, glancing back to see that the dog wasn't getting closer, but he wasn't tiring either.

Trevor barked and Luke translated, "I accidently found his territory and he doesn't like intruders."

Luke could feel his lungs tiring as they continued to run. Luke turned another corner and _BAM!_ Luke fell to the ground, Trevor slamming into his back right after.

"Luke, what are you doing?" Luke looked up to see Emmy on the ground in front of him, an irritated look on her face.

The Professor stood behind her, looking curiously at Luke with his arms crossed, "Where were you Luke? We were looking for you." Luke opened his mouth to explain when he heard the growling. He scrambled to his feet and backed towards the Professor as the dog rounded the corner and bounded towards them.

Emmy got up as well and the dog suddenly skidded to a halt as Emmy's glare bore into him. "Beat it." Emmy said sharply and the dog yipped before running off. Luke sighed in relief as well as Trevor. "You always manage to find trouble wherever you go, don't you Luke?" Emmy said.

"It wasn't my fault!" Luke protested.

"Where did you wander off to Luke?" Layton asked, no accusation in his voice, only curiosity.

"Trevor was hiding under a bucket in the alley, I heard him." Luke answered, gesturing to the little dog. "He was scared so I wanted to help him."

Emmy sighed and smiled, shaking her head, "It's always you and animals, Luke." she said. "Go on little guy, go home." she said, shooing Trevor away. Trevor ran off before Luke could stop him, not wanting to get Emmy angry like with that big dog.

"You know better than to run off like that Luke." The Professor said.

"I'm sorry." Luke said, his head down.

Layton smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "Come now, we don't want to be late."

* * *

They arrived at the racetrack where Randall, Angela and Henry were waiting for them. "Glad you all could make it!" Randall said, enthusiastic as ever. "The race is supposed to be a big one today!"

"Randall's promised that he wouldn't gamble anything." Angela reassured with a smile.

"I don't gamble that much." Randall protested.

"You are known for taking risks Master Randall." Henry pointed out with a smile and Randall lightly shoved him. "I thought you were on my side!"

Luke turned away from the slight bickering and looked at all the horses being led around. His eyes fells on the stable, the doors wide open as horses came and went to be prepared for races. He had always wondered what race horses were like up close instead of on the track. "Professor," he said, tugging on his mentor's sleeve. "Do you think we could see the horses?" he asked.

Randall shrugged and glanced at the clock. "I don't see why not; we have some time before the next race starts."

"Right this way." Henry said, leading them to the stable. Once they entered, Luke marveled at all the stalls, each one holding a respective horse. They were all well cared for and it in peak condition. Every one of them was probably a phenomenal racer. Luke wandered away from the group to get a closer look. From their whinnies they were all very happy here.

He eventually came to a bright tan horse tied in an open area, probably waiting to be brushed or shoed. "Hello there," Luke said, stroking the horse's nose. "Excited for the race today?"

The horse whinnied. "A little nervous actually; I don't really like people watching me." Was what Luke picked up.

"Really?" Luke asked. After hearing that, he could feel her slightly shivering under his touch, and he was pretty sure it wasn't a chill. "Well, I'm sure you'll do great out there."

"She's one of our fastest horses." Luke looked up to see Henry walking towards him. "She's never come in last place once."

Luke looked at the horse and continued stroking her as it seemed to calm her. "But isn't she timid?" he asked.

Henry shrugged, "That's probably why she's so fast." he offered. "She seems to get spooked by the tiniest of things." Luke nodded and he and Henry stepped aside as a dark brown horse was led by them. At that moment, a stable hand had entered the tan horse's stall and gotten ready to brush her.

Luke took his hand off her nose for a second just as the stable hand got out his brush. He pulled out a hose to water down the brush so as to brush her tail easier, but his grip slipped, causing the hose to fall right on the horse's behind.

The horse started and lurched forward, her muzzle slamming right into the dark brown horse passing her. The brown horse whinnied loudly causing everyone to jump as the brown horse began rearing, waving his hooves dangerously. Henry quickly grabbed Luke who was between the offending animals and pressed them against the wall out of harms way.

The stable hands tried to calm them, but they were too afraid to get close to the brown one. Luke spied his reins flapping around and glanced at the brown horse's trampling hooves. "Be careful!" Luke cried going towards the brown horse, "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Luke, get back!" Henry said frantically.

Luke quickly snatched up the reins and pulled at the horse. Because of his size he couldn't pull very hard, but he managed to keep his grip. "Calm down, it's okay!" Luke said firmly. The brown horse stopped rearing but still snorted and squirmed in agitation. Luke saw his chance and touched the horse's neck. "It's okay, you just got scared." Luke said. "Nothing's going to hurt you."

"What's going on here?" Emmy, Layton, Randall, and Angela ran on the scene to see Luke gently stroking the brown horse in front of him as well as the tan horse nearby.

He faced them, "It's okay." he said, gesturing towards the tan horse. "Spirit just got a bit spooked and upset Gallant here."

Randall frowned, "Spirit and Gallant?" he asked.

"Those are their names." Luke clarified.

"Henry!" Angela gasped, spying the other man. Randall and Angela went to his side, as he was breathing heavily and clutching his chest in fright against the wall.

"Are you alright?" Layton asked.

Henry took a deep breath and nodded, "I'm fine," he swallowed, "Just a bit startled, that's all."

Randall smirked, "Why Henry, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're afraid of horses."

Henry looked at the ground sheepishly, "Ah, I've never really been...comfortable around them." he said, straightening his clothes.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing Luke is good with animals." Emmy said.

"Well, that was an exciting start to a day, wasn't it?" Randall said.

"Master Randall, I believe the race is going to start soon." Henry said.

"Come along Luke." The Professor called as they headed out of the stable.

Luke gave Gallant and Spirit a few final strokes. "Good luck out there." He said. The horses whinnied their thanks and Luke ran to catch up with the Professor.

The race went on and it was as exciting as to be expected. Luke cheered the loudest as Spirit ran like the wind and easily overtook the other racers, leaving them in the dust. Once it was over, the group headed back to the manor.

As they walked down the streets, a small ball of fur caught his eye in an alley. He stopped as he heard something bark his name and looked to see a familiar little dog. "Oh, hello there." Luke said, kneeling in front of the dog, "You're Trevor, right?" He pet the little dog and was surprised as it jumped into his arms.

Trevor seemed quite excited to see him as his tail was wagging very hard. "Do you want to walk with me?" Luke asked. Trevor barked an obvious yes and Luke continued towards the manor, carrying the little dog. Despite having only met twice, Trevor seemed quite attached to him already, more than any other animal he had met. Maybe it was because he was so lonely.

As they approached the manor, Luke stopped outside the gate. After what happened before, Luke wasn't sure if the Professor and Emmy would be too pleased at seeing the little dog again. And he didn't just want to take a random stray into the manor.

Sighing, he knelt in front of Trevor, "Sorry Trevor, but I have to go now." he said. Trevor whimpered and looked at Luke with big eyes. Luke managed to resist how cute he looked and gave the little dog a scratch behind the ears to cheer him up, "Don't worry, we can play later; I'll be out soon and then I'll come find you." he said. Trevor seemed to like that idea and barked happily.

"Luke! C'mon!" Emmy called.

"Coming!" Luke responded. "I'll see you later, boy." he said, giving Trevor one final pat before running into the manor with the adults.

* * *

**Yes, Trevor is an OC dog. Why? Because no other animals could fit the part of Toto. I mean, Luke has no pets (surprisingly considering it's Luke), there are hardly any animals in Monte d'Or, I considered Dalston's dog, but he's too big and I realized that he has no name so that was a bust.**

**Also, am I the only one who wanted Randall, Angela and Henry to come back in future Layton games? It's one of the few times I actually wanted side characters to come back and help! It would've been awesome! (Or that's just because I want more love for these guys...)**

**Anyway, review please and tell me what you think!**


	2. Sandstorm

**Alright, time to get the plot moving! Luke is ready to get his one-way ticket to Oz!**

* * *

Luke was bored.

He never thought it was possible when visiting a place like Monte d'Or, but it happened. They were sitting in the living room of the manor, having tea and talking. Well, the Professor, Randall, and Henry were talking mostly, with Angela throwing in a comment every now and then and Emmy asking the occasional question whenever something relating to archeology popped up. She was apparently eager to learn of Randall and Henry's past research on the Mask and the Norwell wall around Stansbury. But Luke had nothing to contribute.

He perked up whenever puzzles were brought up, but he could never get a word in edgewise. Randall was quite talkative after all. At first, Luke found their past stories of high school shenanigans quite entertaining, but after a while he just zoned out.

Luke put his tea down and simply glanced at the adults around him, all of them completely engrossed in their conversation. It was times like this that he wished he were older so he could join in on things like this. Luke swung his feet and leaned against the arm of the couch as none of the others so much as glanced at him. He was small and easy to forget when he was quiet like this, so he couldn't really blame them.

Luke glanced towards the door, finding it was very close to him. Judging by the sunlight peeking through the cracks, it was just barely ajar, probably from one of the other servants entering and exiting. Maybe some fresh air wouldn't hurt.

Luke looked back at the Professor, seeing that he was still talking pleasantly with his friends. Luke tried to say something to let them know that he wanted to go out, but he still couldn't even get a word in. He didn't want to interrupt them, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. Keeping his sight on the others, Luke slowly got up from his seat and made his way towards the door. He kept looking at them, just in case they noticed, but they didn't even flinch.

Luke reached the door and slipped out, letting out a sigh of relief from the desert air. He looked back at the door, not hearing the Professor calling out for him, so Luke trotted down the stairs. He walked out of the gate and into the streets when something small and furry caught his eye. "Oh, hello Trevor!" Luke greeted. He knelt down as the dog walked towards him, wagging his tail happily. "Were you waiting for me?" Luke asked.

Trevor barked, which sounded like, "I wanted to see you again."

Luke smiled and scratched Trevor's ears, "That's really nice of you Trevor." he said, before getting up. He looked ahead where the Stellar Circus was still going on, the happy music ringing through the air in the distance. "Want to go to the circus boy?" Luke asked. Trevor yipped a yes and they went on their way.

They arrived at the circus and looked at all the attractions. Maybe now he could actually see the circus without anything distracting him. His eyes were drawn to the tent, seeing that it was empty. According to the sign, the show wasn't meant to start for a about an hour or two.

Trevor sniffed the air and began to bark excitedly, catching Luke's attention. "What is it Trevor?" He asked. He couldn't catch an answer from his barks as the dog took off towards the tent. "Trevor! Wait!" Luke called, giving chase. He followed the tiny dog all the way around and caught a glimpse of him struggling under the back of the tent. "Trevor! Come back!" Luke hissed.

They weren't supposed to be here before the show started! If the ringmaster caught them, they would be in for it! He quickly lifted the tent and crawled into the tent. "Trevor!" Luke called quietly. "Trevor, where'd you go?" He heard small whines and yips a little ways away and spotted the dog sitting in front of a familiar tiger cage.

Luke smiled at the familiar friendly tiger, "Hello Maurice." he greeted. He looked down at Trevor who was wagging his tail. "You know each other?" he asked.

"He gave me food once." Trevor answered in a bark.

Luke nodded and looked at the tiger, "So how have you been Maurice?" he asked.

"Pretty good." Was what Luke could pick up from his soft growls.

"Who's there?"

Luke jumped and turned around seeing Alphonse Dalston entering the area. Luke felt a bit of relief as it wasn't the ringmaster, but they weren't out of the woods completely.

"Hey, you're Luke, right?" Dalston said, spotting him. "You're Hershel's little sidekick."

"Sorry Mr. Dalston," Luke said, bowing his head slightly. "Trevor here wanted to see Maurice again."

Dalston looked down at the little dog who was still wagging his tail in excitement at seeing a friend and frowned. "Where did you find this dog?" he asked.

"Um, he was wandering the streets." Luke answered. "He told me that he doesn't have a home."

"He _told_ you?" Dalston asked. "What do you mean?"

Luke smiled; he had forgotten that not many people knew of his talent. "I can talk to animals Mr. Dalston," he answered. "Not completely, but enough."

Dalston seemed quite intrigued. "Well you must tell me more about this talent of yours!" he exclaimed. "In the meantime, how about I get some treats for Trevor and Maurice?"

Luke nodded, "That would be great! What do you think Trevor?" The dog barked happily and Dalston opened Maurice's cage. The tiger purred as Luke gave him a pat and Trevor happily pranced around his big paws.

And that was how Luke found himself sitting in the circus ring, talking with Dalston about animals while Trevor and Maurice gnawed on their treats. Luke couldn't remember the last time he enjoyed a conversation like this, especially with Dalston of all people. When they first met he seemed kind of arrogant and stand-offish, but when animals were a part of the equation, he became a completely different person.

"By the way," Dalston said, looking around the still empty tent. "Why are you out here all by yourself? Layton is probably looking for you."

"I don't think so." Luke answered softly, looking at the ground. "He and Emmy were having tea at the manor when I last saw them; I left and they didn't even notice."

Dalston seemed a bit shocked but nodded, "Feeling lonely?" he asked.

"A bit, I guess." Luke admitted.

"Maybe even jealous?" Dalston asked.

"What?" Luke asked, his head shooting up, "N-No! I-I'm not jealous!" he protested.

Dalston simply smirked, "Well I won't put any labels on you," he said, giving Maurice a scratch behind the ears. "But just because they didn't notice you then doesn't mean they won't ever notice you." Luke frowned in confusion. "Take me for example," Dalston said. "Back in Stansbury, Bratscot would annoy me to no end. I got so used to it that when he never said a word to me on some days I always thought he was plotting something."

Luke stifled a giggle; he could clearly picture Randall doing something like that to Dalston from the few days he's known him.

"Anyway, just don't take it too personally." Dalston continued. "And even so, who needs them when we have friends like Maurice and Trevor?"

Luke smiled and Trevor jumped into his lap. "Wow, Mr. Dalston." Luke said. "I never knew you could be so...sentimental."

Dalston rolled his eyes. "Being rivals with Ledore, I imagine his goody-goody attitude has rubbed off on me." Luke chuckled when the ringmaster burst into the tent.

"Mr. Dalston, please get Maurice back in his cage; this tent has to come down at once!" he said frantically.

Luke and Dalston got up, "What's going on? What about the show?" Dalston asked.

"It will have to wait," The ringmaster said. "There's a sandstorm coming, a big one!" Luke's eyes widened; he had forgotten that Monte d'Or was in the desert! No one had ever mentioned sandstorms during their brief time here so Luke assumed they were a rare occurrence.

Luke glanced outside and saw that the wind was starting to get steadily stronger. He poked his head outside and looked around until he saw a giant cloud of sand coming towards the town. It looked like it was moving slowly, but judging by the wind, it would be here in no time. "I have to get back." Luke muttered. "I have to get back to the manor!" Luke said.

"Luke, you have to get inside, it's too dangerous to be out there!" Dalston said.

"Don't worry, I know the way." Luke said. "C'mon Trevor!" Luke and Trevor exited the tent that was already starting to sway dangerously from the wind. "Bye Mr. Dalston!" Luke called as he ran. "Thanks for the talk!"

Dalston twisted his mustache as he watched him go, "Hope that kid gets home in time." He muttered before helping the ringmaster with the inside of the tent.

* * *

"Luke!" The Professor kept a firm grip on his hat as the wind picked up. "Luke, where are you?" He called. He stood by the gate of the Ledore manor as he looked for any sign of the boy. Where could he have run off to?

"Hersh!" Layton turned to see Randall coming towards him, holding his arm up to protect his face from the wind. "We need to get inside! It won't be long before the sand hits, and you don't want to be outside for that!" he yelled.

"Luke hasn't returned yet!" Layton yelled back over the strong wind.

"Professor!"

Layton and Randall looked towards the streets to see Emmy fighting the wind as she came towards them. Layton's heart sank as she didn't have Luke in tow. "Any sign of him?" he asked.

Emmy shook her head, "None! I can't find him anywhere!" Layton was at a loss; where could Luke be?

"Master Randall! Hershel!" Henry came towards them through the wind. "We must get inside now! The sand is going to hit at any moment!"

Randall nodded and faced Layton. "C'mon Hersh, we have to go!"

"But Luke is still out there!" Emmy protested angrily.

Henry shook his head, "There's nothing we can do now!"

Emmy looked like she was about to retort, but Layton took her arm. "Henry's right Emmy!" he said. "We won't find Luke any better if we stay out here!" Emmy frowned but resigned and he group got inside the house where Angela was waiting.

"Is everyone here?" she asked.

Randall shook his head, "No, Luke is still missing."

Emmy looked out the window as sand began to fly through the air. "Do you think he'll be alright?" she asked, failing to hide her worry.

Layton put a hand on her shoulder, "We'll just have to hope for Luke's safety." he said.

"There is a chance that he found shelter; the city is very large after all." Angela said, hoping to offer some comfort.

"We can look for him again once the storm passes, but for now, we just have to wait." Henry said.

Layton nodded and tore himself away from the window. _'Luke, my boy,"_ he thought. _'Please be safe.'_

* * *

Luke kept his head down as he stumbled through the empty streets. He had thought he would be able to run straight back to the manor, but the wind had quickly slowed him to a crawl. The sand had finally hit the city and was swirling through the air, dropping visibility greatly. He looked beside him as Trevor was beginning to move sluggishly, letting out a few hoarse coughs. Luke could see sand getting in his eyes; he had to do something!

His eyes spied his bag and he quickly scooped up Trevor. The dog was very small but he just barely fit inside. Luke closed his bag to keep the dog safe and hurried towards the the manor. At least, he hoped he was heading towards the manor. With all the sand in the air, everything looked the same!

Luke tried to cover his nose and mouth with his shirt, but he couldn't take his hands away from his cap or his bag in case they blew away. All he could do was keep his head down against the wind and try not to breathe in any sand. It wasn't long before he spotted the large wall that belonged to the Ledore manor. He managed to stumble through the gate, trying to not fall. The wind was so strong, Luke was afraid he might get blown away altogether.

He barely saw lights through the windows before having to lower his head again to keep sand out of his eyes He got to the steps and hurriedly stepped onto the first step, but he couldn't see the thin layer of sand coating it. Luke slipped and fell over, forcing himself to gasp in surprise, breathing in a mouthful of sand with it. Luke coughed and spit trying to get the sand out of his mouth, but it only served make it worse.

He coughed and coughed with every breath as he breathed in more and more sand; he couldn't breathe! He needed to get inside somewhere! Through his sandy vision, Luke spied what looked like a shed, probably to store tools for the garden. That was his best option; he could hide in there until the storm blew over. Luke stumbled over as fast as he could, his cough still getting worse until he made it.

He yanked the door open, got inside and slammed the door. Luke fell to his knees his arms supporting him as he coughed loudly and spit any remaining sand from his mouth. Trevor crawled out of his bag while Luke's coughs began to calm down a bit, allowing him to take a few sand-free breaths. His throat felt dry and scratchy, having difficulty letting clean air in. However, as he struggled to pull himself together, Luke failed to notice a large metal tool hanging precariously off a high shelf.

Luke coughed roughly, feeling as if his throat was being scratched by sharp talons; it hurt so much that his eyes watered. His vision turned spotted as he tried to breathe without coughing as the wind outside banged and knocked against the shed. Finally, the tool could no longer stay still and it fell with a clunk, right on Luke's head.

Luke only heard the tool fall to the ground as the remaining breath he had was knocked out of him and he collapsed to the floor.

* * *

**Yes, sandstorms, not twisters. I mean, Monte d'Or is in the middle of the FREAKING DESERT! They must get SOMETHING akin to sandstorms! And considering the kind of damage sandstorms can do to people (like blindness) I'd say Luke got pretty lucky! On another subject, I think Luke and Dalston would be able to bond pretty greatly over their love for animals, don't you?**

**I'll admit, Luke's motivation for leaving is kinda weak, but I had to get Luke out of the house somehow...and I do like to think that if they went back to Monte d'Or, Luke would kinda be left out, due to Layton and the Ascot-Ledores being old friends and all. I know I felt that way at my cousin's wedding...**

** Anyway, next stop: Oz! Let's do this!**

**Review!**


	3. Over the Rainbow

Luke groaned as he felt a small tongue licking his face. He opened his eyes to see Trevor over him, whining something along the lines of "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Trevor." Luke said roughly. He sat up and put a hand to his throbbing head as he heard the wind whipping around outside. "How long was I knocked out?" he muttered.

Trevor barked, roughly translating into "Only a few minutes." Luke was about to get to his feet when the shed seemed to roughly tilt to one side, throwing him and Trevor off balance. Luke managed to keep his head from hitting anything; it was hurting enough as it was. What on earth had hit him?

Luke managed to stumble to his feet as the shed continued to tilt this way and that like it was on the ocean. Luke waved his arms around, keeping them outstretched in a desperate attempt to keep balance. He managed to get to the windowsill to keep his balance and happened to glance out the window. There was nothing out there; sand was all there was, for as far as the eye could see. He couldn't even see the Ledore manor, and he swore it was only a few yards away.

Something wasn't right. Taking a deep breath, Luke managed to lift the heavy window open. Trevor ran back as the sandy wind whipped around the inside of the shed and Luke managed to stick his head out slightly. He held tightly to the windowsill as the shed was still rocking quite mercilessly and strained his vision. He couldn't see anything! Nothing at all! He looked down and felt his heart skip a beat. He couldn't see the ground. The ground wasn't even there!

He combined that with the rocking the shed was doing as it was beat around by the strong wind and quickly closed the window. He let out the breath he was holding and looked at Trevor, "We're in the air Trevor!" he cried. "The storm blew us away!" But if they were up in the air...what would happen when the storm stopped?

As if triggered by his thoughts, the sound of the wind seemed to die down and the rocking began to slow. With his heart in his mouth, Luke ran over to Trevor and picked him up just as the drop began. Luke yelled out and curled into a ball, clutching Trevor to his chest tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut as everything was thrown around and the shed plummeted to the earth below. He could almost feel himself being lifted into the air as he felt the shed pick up speed with gravity's help. Luke was thrown to the floor as the shed came to a sudden halt.

He fell on his back and rolled a bit, Trevor still protected in his arms. He opened his eyes and looked around the messy shed. He heard nothing, not even the wind. Had the sandstorm fully ended? He looked down at Trevor who seemed just as confused. "Sounds like the storm stopped." Luke said. He slowly got to his feet, still holding Trevor trying to shake the uneasy feeling the silence brought.

He walked to the door and hesitated over the doorknob, almost afraid to see the other side. He opened the door slowly, only to have his eyes widen in amazement. Outside was a beautiful little town, full of little houses, surrounded by flowers and wildlife, and a little river running through it. It was the most beautiful sight Luke had ever seen. He walked out of the shed and put Trevor down. The little dog began sniffing the new place as the two wandered the empty town.

But where were they?

Luke didn't remember seeing anything like this in Monte d'Or, or London for that matter! "I have a feeling we're not in England anymore, Trevor." Luke said a bit uneasily. He made his way near the center of the town when something caught his eye. It looked like a glowing...bubble? "What is that Trevor?" he asked.

The dog stared at the bubble and answered along the lines of, "I have no idea."

The bubble got closer, it's glowing colors becoming more radiant causing Luke and Trevor to back away. The bubble gently landed on the ground and vanished, leaving behind a beautiful woman in its place. She had long wavy ginger hair, deep brown eyes, and pale perfect skin. She wore a long white flowing robe with gold embroidered on the edges that glistened in the sun. She took Luke's breath away as she looked at him with a sweet and serene smile on her face and walked towards him.

"Now I know we're not in England anymore…" Luke said softly.

The woman approached him and looked directly at him. "And who are you, little boy?" she asked.

"Uh, I'm Luke Triton." Luke answered, tipping his cap before gesturing to the dog next to him. "And this is Trevor." Trevor gave a small bark in greeting and the woman smiled.

"Well then Luke Triton, are you a good witch or a bad witch?" she asked.

Luke frowned in confusion. A witch? But witches were just from fairy tales and scary stories. "What do you mean?" Luke asked.

The woman gestured to the crooked shed, "Well, let's just say someone who falls from the sky in something like that and kills a wicked witch isn't exactly normal."

Luke's eyes widened and quickly shook his head, "Oh no, I'm not a witch ma'am!" he said but the woman put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Calm down Luke," she said gently. "And please, call me Claire."

Luke nodded and took a deep breath, calming himself. "Well, I was hiding in that shed from the sandstorm and ended up here by accident and-" he cut himself off as something hit him. "Miss Claire, did you say I... killed someone?" he asked slowly.

Claire smiled, "Well, the shed did more than you." she said, gesturing to the bottom of the shed. Luke followed her hand and, to his horror, spied a pair of legs peeking out from under the shed.

Luke gasped and took a step back, "Oh no...I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident, I swear!" he exclaimed.

But Claire shook her head, "There's no need to worry Luke; you've done a great deed." Luke was taken aback; he was being praised for killing someone? "That was Sophia, the wicked witch of the East, and for many years she ruled over the poor people of Myst." Clair explained, looking at the small town. "No one has been able to stand up to her and end her vicious rule...until now." She looked at Luke. "You were able to end the life of the wicked witch Sophia with great ease; that's why the people here want to know if you're a good witch or a bad witch."

Luke still shook his head, "It's like I said Miss Claire, I'm not a witch at all; witches are old and ugly." he said when many giggles rang throughout the air. "What was that?" Luke asked, looking around to see no one.

"The Mysteres, the people of this town." Claire answered before giving a little giggle herself. "I can understand their laughter; you see, I'm a witch myself, the good witch of the North."

Luke's eyes grew large; a good witch? Even in stories he had never heard of a good witch. "I...I didn't know a witch could be so beautiful." he said in awe.

Claire let out a soft laugh when the bushes and trees around them began to shake. "Well, it seems the Mysteres want to thank you for ridding them of the witch." Claire said. She turned and faced the town, "It's alright everyone, you can all come out."

Luke watched as multiple people emerged from hiding. However Luke could see that they weren't exactly people. All of them were slightly dirty and their clothes were slightly torn in places. But in some places, like their arms or cheeks, their skin was torn off, revealing metal endoskeletons and slowly turning gears. Claire wasn't exaggerating when she said the witch here ruled viciously.

Claire led Luke to the center of the town as the Mysteres all gazed at their proclaimed hero. Claire turned and addressed the people. "People of Myst, let the joyous news be spread; thanks to the heroics of Luke Triton, the wicked witch, at last, is dead!"

The people all broke into loud cheers, all chanting happily. "Hooray for Luke!"

"The witch is dead!"

"She's finally dead and gone!"

"We're finally free!"

Luke couldn't help but smile at the people's happiness. He was still a bit shocked at what he had done, but it made him feel a lot better knowing that these people were finally free from an evil ruler. And if the person he killed was really a wicked witch, then that made it all the better.

But all the happiness was suddenly interrupted as a loud explosion rang out. The Mysteres all screamed and ran away in terror as a cloud of black smoke appeared. Luke grabbed Trevor and stepped back as a man emerged from the smoke.

He had wavy blonde hair and wore a long black cape, a sword adorning his waist in a black scabbard. His cold pale green eyes looked around as the Mysteres ran and hid once again until his gaze fell on the shed. His eyes widened as he spotted the pair of legs underneath. "Who did this?" He hissed, turning around, his gaze now full of fury. "Who killed Sophia?!"

Luke took another step back as the man's gaze locked on him and Trevor. He felt Claire behind him as she placed her hands on his shoulders, making him feel a little safer. "So it was you." The man said dangerously. "You killed my wife!"

Luke tried to keep from trembling, "I-It was an accident sir!" he protested. "I didn't mean to kill her!"

"Accident, eh?" the man said, towering over the small boy. "I can cause accidents too you know."

"Now, that's enough Anton." Claire said firmly, pulling Luke towards her. "We both know you're only here for one thing only, and it's not this boy."

The man, Anton, gave a sinister smile. "You know me too well Claire."

He turned away to Luke's relief and started back towards the shed. "Miss Claire, who is that?" Luke asked quietly.

"That is Anton, the wicked witch of the West." Claire answered. "Be warned, for he is much more powerful and wicked than his wife." This man was a witch too? Luke wasn't expecting a man to be called a witch.

Anton suddenly let out a yell of rage, "Where are they?!" he thundered. He turned around and stalked back towards Luke and Claire. "What have you done with the slippers?" he demanded.

"They're right where they belong." Claire answered and pointed towards the ground. Luke looked at his feet and gasped. His normal brown shoes had been replaced with new ones. They were a pair of bright ruby red loafers that sparkled in the light. When had they gotten on his feet? He looked at Claire for an answer but got none. He looked back at Anton who was practically fuming in rage, causing him to hold Trevor tighter.

"You give back those slippers this instant!" he demanded. "I'm the only one who knows how to use their power; you have no right to take them!" He reached for Luke, but Claire held her hand in front of him.

"Not another step, Anton." she said firmly. "You have no power here; now get out of here before someone drops a shed on _you_."

Anton growled and stepped back. "This isn't over Claire." he vowed pointing at her. "Those shoes will be mine." He looked back at Luke. "And as for you," he said. "Mark my words, that I will get you, and your little dog too!" He took a few steps back and with a swish of his cape, another explosion of smoke filled the air. By the time it dissipated, he was gone.

Luke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and noticed Trevor squirming and whining in his grip. He made out the words "Too tight...Luke...crushing me…"

"Oh, sorry Trevor!" Luke said, putting Trevor back on the ground where the dog promptly shook his fur, relieved of being freed from Luke's tight and scared grip.

"It's alright everyone!" Claire called. "Anton is gone, you're safe now!" The Mysteres all reemerged from hiding and Claire turned to Luke. "I'm afraid you've made a very dangerous enemy Luke." she said somberly. "At this point I'm afraid that getting you out of Oz is the best way to keep you safe."

Luke nodded in agreement. He needed to get back to Monte d'Or before the Professor and the others started to worry about him. "But...how can I get back?" Luke asked. It wasn't like he could just go back in the shed and wait for another sandstorm to whip up.

"Well, I can't get you back, but there's someone who can." Claire said. "If there's anyone in Oz who could get you back to where you came from, it's the Wizard of Oz." The Mysteres all muttered excitedly amongst themselves.

"The Wizard of Oz?" Luke asked. "Who's that?"

"The very powerful but very mysterious ruler of Oz." Claire answered. "He lives in the Emerald City; he'll most certainly be able to help you."

"But where can I find him?" Luke asked. "Where's the Emerald City?"

"It's quite a long way from here," Claire answered. "And I'm afraid you'll have to walk there, but all you have to do to find it, is to follow the yellow brick road." She took a few steps before facing him again, "And remember Luke, never give up those shoes, or you will be completely at Anton's mercy." The Mysteres around them parted to make a path for Luke. Claire motioned for him to go and Luke and Trevor made their way to the town's center.

Luke turned back towards Claire, his head still swimming with questions. "But...but what if I-"

Claire held up her hand, stopping his sentence, "Just be brave, be cautious, and follow the yellow brick road." she said. "Good luck, Luke." And with those words, she was enveloped by a bubble and floated away as gracefully as she came.

Luke watched her go, a bit sad that she couldn't be with him for the journey. He felt so safe when she was around, and now it was just going to be him and Trevor, all alone in the land of Oz. Luke looked down at his feet where he saw the beginnings of a yellow path. "So...follow the yellow brick road?" he asked.

"Follow the yellow brick road." One of the Mysteres confirmed.

"Follow the yellow brick road!" Another chimed. Luke nodded and began to follow the yellow path, the Mysteres following close behind him. Once they reached the edge of the town, Luke could see the yellow brick road for miles in the distance. It was a straight shot with no branching paths. Luke couldn't help but smile; this was going to be easy! He picked up the pace, eager to begin his journey while Mysteres bade him farewell, singing and cheering.

"Goodbye Luke!"

"Be safe out there!"

"Go and find the Wizard!"

"Thank you again for everything!"

"Remember; follow the yellow brick road!"

Luke turned around as he walked and waved back. "Goodbye!" he called. Trevor barked a farewell and the two went on their way. They were off to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

* * *

**Claire is always the saint, no matter what universe you put her in X3**

**I deemed Anton as the only one fabulously evil enough to be the Witch of the West (Don Paolo came pretty close, but I needed someone with class). And keep in mind that this is BEFORE Diabolical Box and Curious Village so Luke may be seeing a few familiar faces with him and the Mystere's when he goes to those locations...**

**Next we shall meet the Scarecrow, and I have a feeling you're going to get a kick out of it X3**


	4. A Scarecrow Without a Brain

Luke breathed heavily as he stopped and sat on the side of the road. Trevor sat next to him, panting hard. They had been walking for hours and it looked like they weren't even close to the Emerald city. They had passed grassy fields, forests, and were now passing a large cornfield, but no sign of a city anywhere. Trevor put a paw on his leg and whined. "I know Trevor, I'm tired too." Luke sighed.

He hoped this Wizard wasn't as far as Claire said; he had to get back as soon as possible. It looked like it was pretty late in the day, almost twilight. The Professor and Emmy were no doubt looking for him by now. He hoped that his absence didn't disrupt any plans they might have had with Randall, Angela and Henry. Luke sighed and buried his face in his arms while drawing his knees to his chest; he shouldn't have snuck out like that.

He was regretting leaving the manor with every passing second. What kind of gentleman got jealous from his mentor spending time with his old friends? He deserved a chance to catch up with them, especially with Randall having been gone for eighteen years. He had to get back...he had to get back and apologize to the Professor, and his friends too. If he even could get back…

"You seem a bit down, what's wrong?"

Luke's head shot up and looked around. He got up, but no one was in sight. "That's weird…" he muttered. "I could've sworn I heard something."

Trevor suddenly barked and Luke turned to the dog's offender. The dog was barking at an old scarecrow that was propped on a pole in the cornfield a few yards from them. "That thing talked! I know it did!" Was what Luke could make out from the dog's frantic barks.

He shook his head, "Don't be silly Trevor, scarecrows can't talk."

"Well, you're clearly not from around here." Luke's head shot up and looked at the scarecrow again. Sure enough, the scarecrow was blinking and smiling down at him from his pole.

The scarecrow was wearing a ragged black shirt and pants, with a black pointy hat on his head and a yellow bandana around his neck. Straw protruded from his sleeves and hat, but Luke could make out some dark red hair under his hat. But the strangest thing was that the scarecrow had a pair of glasses on his face. Since when did scarecrows need glasses?

The scarecrow looked around, and then back at Luke, who was still staring at him. "What? Do I have somthing on my face?" he asked.

Luke backed away and shakily pointed at the straw man. "Y-Y-You...you can talk!" he exclaimed.

"Of course I can!" The scarecrow said as if it were obvious. "Have you really never seen a scarecrow before?"

"Not one that can talk." Luke answered.

The scarecrow crossed his arms, a curious look on his face. "You must come from a strange place." he said. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Luke, Luke Triton." Luke answered, tipping his cap, feeling a bit odd that he was talking to a scarecrow of all things. "Um, how are you?"

The scarecrow grinned, "My name's Lando." he said. "And as for how I'm doing...I guess very uncomfortable comes to mind." he said, grimacing at the pole behind him.

Luke felt a pang of sympathy; it couldn't be fun sitting up on a pole all day just staring at nothing. "Can't you get down?" Luke asked.

Lando snorted, "I wish; you have no idea how many times I've tried to get off this bloody thing."

"Well, maybe I can help you." Luke said. He climbed over the fence and walked through the corn towards Lando and went behind the pole. "Just tell me what to do."

"Really?" Lando asked. "You'd help me down?"

Luke nodded, though Lando couldn't see. "Of course; a gentleman always helps someone in need." he said.

"Thanks mate." Lando said happily. "If you unwrap the wire behind me, that should do the trick."

"Got it." Luke said, and set to work. He carefully unwound and untangled the thick wire and smiled to himself. If the Professor were here, this would no doubt remind him of a puzzle. He squinted as the wire came a bit more loose. "I think I've almost got it." he said, sticking his tongue out in concentration.

"Well, don't hold back, I need to mo-aaaargh!" Lando slid right off the pole and tumbled into the cornfield.

Luke yelped and ran towards him, "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

Lando waved his hand and got to his feet, "Don't worry about me; perks of being a scarecrow: you can't be hurt easily." He then shuddered. "Unless there's fire around." Lando stretched and jumped the fence to the yellow brick road. "Freedom at last! It never felt so good!" Luke followed him and Lando looked down at him, reminding Luke how short he was compared to him. "That reminds me, what's a kid like you doing out here all by yourself?" he asked.

"I'm going to see the Wizard." Luke answered.

Lando flinched. "The Wizard? You mean the great Wizard of Oz?" he asked.

Luke nodded, "I came here by accident; Claire, the witch from the north, told me that the Wizard might be able to help me get back home." he explained.

Lando looked very intrigued and knelt down so he was at Luke's eye level, "Do you think...I could come along with you?" he asked.

"To see the Wizard?" Luke asked. "Why?"

Lando sighed, "Well, way back when, my creator forgot something pretty vital when he was making me." he said. "I...don't have a brain." he said sheepishly.

Luke was taken aback. "You don't?" he asked.

"Nope." Lando answered, knocking on his soft temple, "Nothing but straw and hay up here."

Luke looked at the ground in thought. He couldn't help but take pity on the scarecrow. "Well...if the Wizard can get me home, I'm sure he can give you a brain." Luke said, smiling at him. "And it would be nice to have someone to travel with."

Trevor let out a few barks that translated into "What am I, chopped kibble?" but Luke ignored him as his smile faded. The threat that Anton made was making itself known in his consciousness. "But...I don't know if you'd want to be around me." he said. "The witch Anton is after me because I took his ruby shoes," Luke gestured to his feet, "So I don't think it would be safe to travel with me."

Lando scoffed, "Oh please, unless there's fire involved, I'm not afraid of anything!" he said bravely. He placed a gloved hand on Luke's head, "But even if there is fire on this trip, I'll still go with you."

"Really?" Luke asked.

"No risk, no glory; that's what I always say." Lando said. "We'll both get to the Wizard, witch or no witch."

Luke couldn't help but feel touched by Lando's words. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about him seemed so familiar...if he could just remember. "Thanks Lando." he said sincerely.

Lando sprang to his feet, "Alright then; we're off to see the Wizard!" he exclaimed. Lando's excitement seemed to fill Luke with energy, getting rid of any tiredness he felt before. "C'mon, let's go!" he said, and the two continued down the yellow brick road with Trevor right behind them.

* * *

**I never thought I'd have to use Japanese names for characters! It's kinda fun! X3**


	5. A Tin Woman Without a Heart

The sun beat down on them as Luke, Lando and Trevor continued down the road. It was probably around noon; a day had already passed since Luke's journey began. He and Lando had slept in a soft patch of grass for the night, the summer air keeping them warm and comfortable. More and more trees were popping up so Luke assumed they would eventually be led into a forest of some kind.

After a while, Trevor whined and pawed at Luke's moving feet. "Luke, I'm tired." Was what he could pick up.

Luke sighed, "Alright, c'mon boy." He bent down and picked up the small dog while continuing down the road. Luke was starting to lag behind from the heat and from walking since this morning. That and something else had been gnawing at him: hunger. He hadn't felt this hungry in a long time, and was afraid it would soon affect his judgment.

Lando on the other hand, seemed to be filled to the brim with energy, Luke assumed because he was a scarecrow. "C'mon slowpoke!" Lando called, now ahead of him. "You want to get home soon don't you?"

Luke panted and stopped, putting Trevor back down, "Sorry Lando," he said, "It's just that we've been walking for so long, and I haven't eaten anything since I got here."

Lando seemed to understand Luke's dilemma and glanced around. There had to be some kind of food around for Luke to eat. It wasn't long before he spied the trees they were passing; a bunch of them had red fruit hanging from the branches. "Hey Luke; there are apples over here!" Lando called.

"Apples?" Luke asked, immediately perking up and running towards Lando. Luke looked up at the ripe and shiny fruit causing his mouth to water. He reached up for it but quickly found it was too high. He jumped a few times, but it was no use. He let out a yelp when he was suddenly scooped up and placed up high. He looked down to see Lando smiling up at him from his perch on his shoulders. Luke smiled in thanks and managed to grab an apple.

"What are you two doing?"

Luke and Lando jumped from the sudden voice causing Lando to lose his balance. As a scarecrow, he wasn't very sturdy to begin with, but he managed to catch Luke and keep him from falling head first onto the brick road behind them. Luke still had his apple safely in his hands and the two looked up to see a young girl that looked a few years older than Luke.

She wore a golden sundress and had light brown hair tied up in a ponytail. Her hands were on her hips as she glowered at them. "What are you doing in my orchard?" she asked sharply.

Luke and Lando quickly got up and Luke bowed apologetically. "Sorry Miss, it was my fault." he said. "I was hungry and we didn't know anyone owned these apples."

The girl's glare became a bit softer, but she still seemed bitter about the whole affair. "Well, be sure to ask next time." she scolded. "Not just anyone can take Aroma's apples."

"We're very sorry." Luke said again, but Aroma waved her hand. "You already apologized and picked the apple; you can keep it, just don't let me catch you in my orchard again, understand?

"We promise." Luke and Lando said together, not wanting to upset Aroma any further. They continued down the road until Aroma and her orchard were well out of sight before they sat on the side of the road and Luke set to work on his apple. It was by far the sweetest apple Luke had ever tasted; no wonder Aroma was upset that he took one. She probably had the best apples in Oz.

As Luke ate, he noticed Lando just watching him eat. "Are you not hungry Lando?" Luke asked.

Lando shook his head, "Scarecrow, remember? I don't need to eat." he said. Luke nodded and quickly finished his apple down to the core. "Feel better?" Lando asked.

Luke nodded; he didn't see any garbage bins anywhere, so the forest was probably the best place. He chucked the core behind him when a loud _bong_ rang out. Lando and Luke cringed from the unexpected sound. "What was that?" Luke asked.

He got up and faced the trees behind them, but saw nothing that could have made that sound at first glance. He took a few steps when his foot hit something hard, making the same sound. Luke crouched to the ground, finding his old apple core as well as what looked like a pair of feet. Luke tapped the feet; they were made of tin! He slowly got up, following the feet which led to legs, then a torso, and a head.

"Lando, look at this!" Luke called. Lando arrived and his eyes widened at Luke's discovery. It was a woman...a woman made out of tin!

All her features were perfectly shaped out of the metal. If it weren't for her very pale and shiny skin, Luke probably would've thought she was human. She had bright yellow hair that reached her shoulders and had black eyes. Her tin outfit consisted of jeans, and a thick shirt covered with a vest, almost like a lumberjack and she held an axe in her hand. Her body was covered in dirt and rust, and leaves and vines were slowly beginning to make their way onto her.

"How long do you think she's been here?" Luke asked. Lando didn't answer. Luke looked to see that he was staring at the woman. His eyes were wide behind his glasses as he gazed at her in awe. "Lando?" Luke asked.

The scarecrow didn't even move. "She...she's beautiful…" he said softly, completely forgetting Luke's presence.

"Lando!" Luke said a little louder, tugging at his sleeve. Lando blinked and looked down at Luke who was smiling mischievously up at him. "Do you like her?" Luke asked.

Lando's cheeks turned pink as he stuttered for a response, "U-Uh, w-well, I-I..." Luke giggled at how flustered he got; love made people act pretty funny sometimes. His smile faded when he heard something. It sounded like a muffled voice, trying to speak.

Luke looked up at the woman's blank eyes, "Did you say something?" he asked. Again, he heard the same sound. Lando seemed to hear it too as he stopped talking. They listened and heard it yet again, and it sounded a bit desperate.

"What was that?" Lando asked. The woman tried to speak again and Luke strained his hearing.

"I think she said...oil can." Luke said.

Lando frowned, "Oil can?" he asked. "What is that supposed to…" Lando trailed off as he spied a small oil can sitting on a tree stump. He snatched it up and faced the woman. "Where should we oil first?" he asked.

The woman spoke again and Luke listened carefully. "She said her mouth." Luke said. Lando nodded and quickly squirted oil onto the woman's lips. She slowly moved her lips, working the oil around until she opened her mouth and let out a breath.

"Oh thank goodness…" she said breathlessly. "It's been so long since I could talk."

"What happened to you, Miss?" Luke asked.

The woman took a deep breath, "First, would you mind oiling the rest of me; I haven't moved in ages and I'm really stiff." she said biting back a groan. Lando quickly oiled the elbow and shoulder joints closest to him before handing it off to Luke who did the same to her other arm. Lando gave her arms a sharp tug, allowing them to squeak and come loose from their rusty prison. The woman sighed in relief as he axe fell to the ground with a thump. "Blast this heavy thing…" she sighed irritably.

Luke quickly applied some oil to her knee and leg joints to she could walk and Lando helped her to sit down. "How long have you been here?" Lando asked.

The woman shrugged, "I don't know, I stopped counting after twenty days." She picked up her axe and placed it in a small scabbard like holder made of leather strapped to her back.

"How did you get so rusty?" Luke asked, sitting next to her.

The woman sighed, "Well, I was chopping down some trees around here, and the next thing I knew, it started raining." she recounted. "I've been standing here rusting ever since."

Luke and Lando looked at each other in shock as the woman stretched her finally mobile arms. "Well, at least you can move now." Lando said.

The woman nodded, "Yes, thank you for helping me; I was afraid I would never move again."

Luke smiled, "It was our pleasure Miss." he said with a nod.

"Please, call me Sharon." The woman said with a kind smile.

"Well, I'm Lando, and this is Luke." Lando said. A bark was heard at their feet and Luke laughed, "Oh, and this is Trevor."

Sharon nodded, "It's very nice to meet all three of you." she said, looking at Trevor to ensure that he didn't feel left out. "But what brings you out here?" she asked. "No one's come down this way in a long time."

"We're going to see the Wizard." Luke answered. "We were told he could help get me home."

"And give me a brain." Lando added.

"The great Wizard?" Sharon asked in shock. "You really think he can help you?"

Luke shrugged, "Well, we've got to try; there must be a way." he said positively.

Lando nodded, "No risk, no glory!"

Sharon smiled at their enthusiasm. "If you really think that, would it be alright if I came with you?" she asked. "I'm also missing something, like Lando's brain."

"What is it?" Lando asked.

Sharon sighed sadly, "I don't have a heart…" she said, punctuating her statement by pounding lightly on her chest, making a hollow sound. "The blacksmith forgot to give me one."

"But that can't be!" Luke protested. "Everything living has a heart!"

Sharon shook her head, "Not me; I don't even have a heartbeat as you heard, my chest is empty." She looked at the ground sadly. "All I've ever wanted was to feel real emotions." She looked at Luke and Lando. "If I came with you, do you think the Wizard would give me a heart?"

Luke and Lando looked at each other, and nodded. How could they possibly turn down a plea like that? "Well if the Wizard can help us, then he should definitely be able to help you." Luke said.

"Of course you can come with us!" Lando said, extending his hand to help her up.

"It's the duty of every gentleman to help a lady." Luke added with a tip of his cap.

Sharon smiled, "Thank you very much." She tried to take a step, but stumbled, Lando barely catching her. "Sorry," Sharon said, "It's been awhile since I've walked."

Luke wasn't sure if it was just the light, but he swore he saw her cheeks turn pink. Luke took her hand while Lando kept an arm around her and they walked back to the road. "I think I can take it from here." Sharon said when they got the middle of the road.

"You sure?" Lando asked, slowly taking his arm away and Sharon nodded confidently.

"Well, isn't this just _touching_!"

The three jumped and whirled around. Anton was standing on the roof of an old mill, his cape flapping ominously in the breeze. "Hmph, it seems the little brat's picked up some friends." he sneered. "I don't suppose you're planning on protecting him are you?" Luke picked up Trevor and backed away in fear while Lando and Sharon got in front of him, Sharon's hand lingering towards her axe if need be.

Anton smirked in amusement, "So you would risk your lives for this boy and his stupid dog; how noble." he said mockingly.

"Luke never did anything to you!" Lando retorted. "Why don't you just leave him alone?"

"Stay out of this!" Anton spat. "Unless you're eager to play with fire." He held up his hand making a few flames appear on his palm and Lando shrank away. Sharon wasn't intimidated, her hand now around the wooden handle of her axe, but Anton seemed to only be amused by her ferocity. "Do not worry, I will leave you be all in good time." He fixed his glare on Luke. "Once the boy hands over what's mine."

Luke gulped and gripped Trevor tightly but shook his head fearlessly. "No! I won't give them to you!" he said bravely. Claire had told him not to give up the shoes and he wasn't planning to disappoint her.

Anton frowned, "Poor choice, Luke Triton." he said dangerously. "And don't think your friends will be spared!" He flapped his cape and disappeared in a puff of smoke once more.

The three deflated in relief; that could have turned nasty. "Well, that was unexpected." Sharon said, taking her hand away from her axe.

"I'm sorry." Luke said sadly. "The witch is after me because I have his shoes; you shouldn't be around me, or you'll be in danger."

"C'mon Luke," Lando said, kneeling down and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I already said I would go with you, witch or no witch."

Sharon nodded and knelt in front of him, "I may not look like much, but I'm not afraid of any old witch, and if that idiot shows up again…" she took out her axe, "I'll make sure he doesn't get within an inch of you or Trevor."

Luke slowly smiled, feeling his eyes becoming moist from happiness. He had never known another person besides the Professor or Emmy that would do all this for him. "Thanks you guys." he said softly.

He put Trevor down and Lando faced the path ahead of them. "Well then, shall we continue to the Wizard?"

Sharon got up, "We shall." she agreed.

"Let's go!" Luke exclaimed, pointing down the path, and they were off once again.

* * *

**Aroma: Flora's Japanese name**

**Sharon: Angela's Japanese name**

**Three cheers for RandallxAngela cuteness! X3**


	6. A Lion Without Courage

When Luke saw that the path was leading them to a forest, he didn't think much of it. But when they got inside and almost all the sunlight disappeared, Luke began to regret coming in here. The shadows of the trees gave off an ominous aura around them and multiple animal cries could be heard echoing throughout. Luke gripped Lando and Sharon's hands tightly as the path behind them seemed to close up, preventing any means of escape. The only way to go was forward.

"It certainly got dark quick." Lando commented uneasily.

Luke flinched as a loud bird screeched from the treetops, "I really don't like this place." he said. He normally would try to be brave, but the darkness of the forest combined with all the strange things Oz had to offer was more than he could handle. And besides, the Professor never said that gentlemen couldn't get scared...right?

"Don't be scared, Luke." Sharon reassured him. "We should be out of here soon."

Luke's eyes darted around for any sign of danger while glancing beside him every so often to make sure Trevor was still trotting beside them. "Do you think there could be any wild animals in here?" he asked.

Sharon looked around, "There might be, no ones been through this forest in years." She sounded pretty fearless, but Luke couldn't tell if it was bravery or her lack of a heart.

"Let's just hope these animals aren't hungry for straw, tin, or meat." Lando said.

"W-What kind of animals could be in here?" Luke asked. Maybe by a twist of fate, he would be able to talk to them and persuade them to not eat them.

"I'm no expert," Sharon said. "But if I had to guess, I would say lions and tigers and bears."

Luke and Lando both started and looked at her. "L-Lions?" Luke asked.

"And tigers?" Lando asked.

"And bears." Sharon confirmed with a nod.

Luke was almost shaking in his ruby shoes as his grip grew ever tighter on his companions. "Lions and tigers and bears." he gulped.

"Oh my…" Lando agreed. Their pace unconsciously sped up greatly as the thought of being eaten by lion and tigers and bears seemed to chase them down the road. However their quickened pace was suddenly halted by a roar.

They looked up to see a young lion growling on the top of a large boulder. He had a very round face and blue eyes with a light tan mane and fur. he had two stripes of dark brown down his front shoulders looking almost like overalls. His face was surprisingly quite human, almost like a person in a very well made lion costume. His lips were drawn back in a snarl as he paced on the rock before leaping down towards them.

The three backed up and Sharon pulled out her axe. The lion eyed the weapon and slowly advanced towards them, growling all the while. Poor Lando was shaking like crazy while Sharon was too intimidated to make the first move, both of them stepping back. Luke on the other hand was completely frozen in place. He stared directly at the lion with wide eyes, too afraid to attempt to speak to it.

"Luke, get back." Lando whispered.

Luke snapped out of his daze and tried to take a step back only to trip and fall. The lion took a menacing step towards him from the sudden movement when Trevor leapt between them. He let out a series of sharp barks that translated into something that sounded like, "Leave him alone you big furball!"

Sharon took a step forward raising her axe and the lion shied away, deciding to go after the dog instead.

"No! Stop!" Luke cried as the lion chased Trevor. Luke scrambled after them and managed to scoop Trevor up. The lion came towards him so Luke picked up the closest thing to him, which was a large stick, and popped the lion right over the head with it. "Leave us alone!" Luke yelled as the lion yelped and backed away.

He stood up on two legs before he curled up on the ground holding his head. "W-What did you do that for?" the lion whined. "That-That really hurt!"

Luke was bit taken aback and a bit relieved that the lion could speak normally, but even more surprised to see that the lion's eyes were filling up with tears. "W-Well you were asking for it!" Luke scolded, waving the stick at him. "Next time, pick on animals your own size!"

The lion shivered madly making Luke feel a bit guilty, so he threw the stick away. "I-I'm sorry, please forgive me." The lion said shakily. "I-I w-was just trying to be brave."

"Brave?" Lando asked, making a face. "I wouldn't call scaring people brave."

Sharon nodded, putting her axe away. "That sounds more like cowardice if you ask me."

The lion looked at the ground shamefully. "I-I know." he said. "I'm nothing but a useless coward; I can't go anywhere or do anything without getting scared."

Luke knelt beside the lion, taking pity on the poor frightened creature. "I'm sorry I hit you so hard." he said. "What's your name?"

The lion wiped his eyes and looked at the boy, "R-Redoll, my name's Redoll." he said.

"Well I'm Luke, and this is Trevor." He pet his dog's head, "And that's Lando and Sharon." Trevor barked at Redoll causing him to flinch but Luke laughed. "It's okay, he said he forgives you for chasing him."

"Oh," Redoll looked at the dog, "W-Well, thank you." Trevor gave a small happy bark and licked his giant paw causing Redoll to smile.

Lando's eyes suddenly brightened as he stepped towards the lion, "If you're a coward, I bet that's something the Wizard can fix." he said, extending his hand.

"The Wizard?" Redoll asked as he let Lando pull him up.

Luke nodded, getting up as well, "We're going to the Emerald City to see the Wizard." He explained. "I need to find a way home, Lando needs a brain, and Sharon wants a heart."

Sharon nodded and offered a kind smile, "I bet if you asked, the Wizard would give you some courage."

"And you certainly need it, you being a lion and all." Lando added.

"R-Really?" Redoll asked hopefully. "You would let me come with you to see the Wizard?"

"Of course we will!" Luke said happily. "The more the merrier!"

"Thank you." Redoll said gratefully.

"Do you know how much longer this forest lasts?" Sharon asked.

Redoll nodded, "We're actually very close to the edge; and the Emerald city isn't far once we get out."

"Alright, then let's get a move on!" Lando exclaimed.

Luke began to feel jumpy with excitement; they were so close to meeting the Wizard. He would be home in no time! He started to skip ahead of his companions with Trevor close behind, "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz," he sang softly to himself.

"What was that?" Redoll asked, his attuned hearing picking up Luke's song.

Luke flushed a light pink, "Uh...just a little song I heard the Mysteres singing when they sent me on my way." he said.

"Well, how does it go?" Lando asked as he and the others continued walking next to him.

Luke put a hand on his chin, "I think the rest of the song goes like this…" In a few moments, the group could be heard, skipping down the road through the forest singing their little song.

_ "We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz. _

_We hear he is a whiz of a Wiz if ever a Wiz there was. _

_If ever oh ever a Wiz there was, the Wizard of Oz is one because because because because because because, _

_because of the wonderful things he does. _

_We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, in an old castle far in the West, an amused Anton watched the journey of Luke and his three friends through a large crystal ball from his throne. "So, they've added one more to their little team." he said with a chuckle before lifting his head that was resting on his fist. "No matter; their journey will come to an end soon enough."

He got up and whipped a small jar out of his cape. He waved his hand over the crystal ball and the Emerald city appeared, with a large field of pink poppies standing between Luke and the city. "This is too easy." Anton said with a grin as he had the crystal zoom in on the poppies. He scooped a handful of scarlett dust out of the jar and sprinkled it over the ball.

"The poor boy must be exhausted from such a long journey, so why not give him a dash of poison and let him sleep...sleep and never wake up again."

* * *

**Henry doesn't have a Japanese name okay?! I had no choice but to go with his Japanese last name X(**

**Just review and sing the song...**


	7. The Field of Poppies

Just like Redoll said, they reached the edge of the forest in under an hour. "There it is!" Lando exclaimed. "The Emerald city!"

Sure enough, the tall emerald green structures of the city could be seen in the distance. A large field of poppies were all that stood in their way. "It's beautiful!" Sharon said.

Luke nodded, "He must be a great Wizard if he lives in a place like that." he said.

"Well c'mon, what are we waiting for?" Lando asked. "Let's go!" The group took off through the flowers towards the city. At first Luke ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him, but as he ran his feet felt heavier with every step. Redoll seemed to be feeling the same way, so he switched to running on all fours to help pick up speed while poor Luke was left behind.

Lando and Sharon reached the top of a small hill overlooking the city and turned to look at their straggling companions. "C'mon you two, we're nearly there!" Sharon encouraged. Redoll got to the top and joined them and Luke slowed to a crawl as he reached the top of the hill. He breathed heavily, leaning on his knees and Lando frowned, "Luke, are you alright?" he asked.

Luke wanted to say yes, but he couldn't shake this odd feeling he had. "I...I don't know." he said between breaths. "I feel...so tired all of a sudden…" As he spoke, Trevor had curled up on the ground and fallen fast asleep.

"Well, if you're tired we can carry you." Sharon offered but Luke shook his head. "No don't worry...I just need to rest for a minute." He knelt down in the soft grass, inhaling the beautiful scent of the poppies that just made his eyes droop even more.

"Luke, this is no time for sleeping!" Lando said.

"I don't know...sleep sounds pretty good right now." Redoll said with a yawn.

"Not you too!" Lando exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Luke softly fell to the ground with a soft thump, fast asleep. "Luke! Luke wake up!" Sharon called, shaking his shoulder.

"Hey, stay with me Redoll!" Lando exclaimed trying to keep the lion awake but it was no use. Redoll curled up and fell fast asleep.

"What's going on? They won't move!" Sharon exclaimed frantically.

"I don't know!" Lando said. He spied Trevor asleep near them under the flowers and the answer came to him. "It's the poppies!" he exclaimed. "They must be under some kind of spell!"

"Anton!" Sharon gasped, realizing the situation. "We have to get help!"

"But we can't just leave them here!" Lando countered. "Anton could show up any second!"

* * *

As the two struggled helplessly wondering what to do, little did they know that Anton wasn't the only one watching them. Claire smiled softly as she gazed into her own crystal and picked up a small white bag.

"Winter, the time where everything living falls into a deep slumber." She said as she untied the bag's silver string. "But after winter comes the spring, and the warm sun awakens the world from its cold dark sleep." She scooped out a handful of sky blue dust and sprinkled it over the crystal ball.

"Winter is over my friends; awaken from the cold grasp that keeps you in a dark slumber."

* * *

Back at the poppy field Lando and Sharon suddenly looked up as something cold began to fall from the sky. "Snow?" Sharon asked.

Lando looked around seeing that the snow was only covering the cursed poppy field, and the sky was still a clear blue. "Is this...a spell too?" Lando wondered. They looked at Luke and Redoll as they both began to stir, the snowflakes kissing their faces.

Luke rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, "Huh…? What's going on?" he asked sleepily.

"Luke, you're awake!" Lando exclaimed. "And so is Redoll!" The lion was stretching like a large cat.

"Thank goodness!" Sharon said, giving Luke a small hug as he picked up Trevor. "Wha...Why is it snowing?" Luke asked getting to his feet.

"You and Redoll were under a spell." Lando exclaimed. "Somehow the snow snapped you out of it."

Luke watched as the snow slowly stopped and looked up at the clear blue sky. Why would it suddenly snow like that right when he and Redoll were under a spell? The answer came to him and he smiled at the sky. _'Thank you Claire.'_

He swore he could almost feel her smiling right back at him.

* * *

Anton threw his jar of poison to the ground, shattering it and spilling the poison everywhere. "Blast that Claire!" he growled. He stormed to the window and stared at the Emerald city that was in perfect view. "Well, if you want something done, you have to do it yourself." He muttered. "Soon enough, that boy and his dog will be mine."

He jumped onto the windowsill and leapt off. His cape flapped as his magic activated and he took flight, and with a malicious grin, he flew towards the Emerald city.

* * *

Luke could barely contain his excitement as they approached the gates of the Emerald city. It took everything he had not to run off and leave his friends behind. They were finally going to see the Wizard! He would finally be able to get home! _'Professor... Emmy...just wait a little longer...I'll be back soon.'_

They finally reached the front gate, the only obstacle standing between them and their goal. Lando reached up and pulled the string to ring the bell. Luke cringed slightly as a loud clunky bell rang through the air. A small window on the gate opened and a man with a long face, a large mustache and long shaggy hair poked his head. "Who the blazes rang that bell?" He demanded.

"Uh, we did." Lando answered.

The guard looked down at them with a glare, "Can't you blokes read?" he asked irritably.

"Read what?" Luke asked, looking around. There wasn't anything with words anywhere.

The guard grumbled to himself, "The blasted sign of course!" he exclaimed. "Are you all off your rocker?" Luke and the others looked around one more time, but they didn't see any sign. There wasn't even one on the way to the gate. The guard rolled his eyes, "Blasted kids…" he muttered and pointed next to the string, "It's right-"

He stopped short as he realized there was nothing there. The guard sighed and grumbled something about new recruits and disappeared inside the portal. A few moments later, he reemerged and slapped a sign next to the bell string before slamming the portal door shut. The group looked at the sign and their initial confusion cleared up.

**'Bell out of order. Please knock.'**

Luke spied the large door knocker and managed to lift the heavy thing a few times to bang against the door. The portal opened and the guard reappeared. "That's more like it." he said. "Now, what business do you have in Oz?" he asked.

"We've come to see the Wizard, sir!" Luke answered. His companions nodded but the guard flinched back in shock. "You want to see the Wizard?" he asked.

"Yes sir." Lando said sincerely.

The guard huffed, "Hardly anyone's seen the Great Oz." he said. "What makes you think I'll just let you in to see the most powerful man in Oz?"

Luke thought for a moment until an idea came to him. "We have to see the Wizard sir, we've traveled a long way too." he said. "Claire, the good witch of the North sent me to see him."

The guard's eyes seemed to light up in recognition, but he still seemed skeptical. "Claire, eh? Do you have any proof?" Luke's smile faded; what proof did he have?

Luckily, Lando had an idea, "Well, he's wearing the ruby colored shoes she gave him." he said, pointing to his feet. "Is that proof enough?" The guard looked down as Luke held out his foot where the shoes were still sparkling in the sun despite the long way they had walked.

The guard smiled, "So he is." he said with a nod, "Alright, if Claire sent you, I'm sure the Wizard will hear you out." Luke felt his hope rise as he looked excitedly at his companions.

The guard disappeared from sight again, and a few moments later, the gates slowly swung open.

* * *

**I'm not sure how good a gatekeeper Chelmey would be in real life... B( **

**But then again, he's not too competent as an inspector either. (Better than Strotsky at least)**


	8. The Emerald City

Luke's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the Emerald city and all its glory. The entire place was emerald green and shiny like new as the people laughed heartily while going about their business.

"Well look at that! Visitors!" The group looked to see a short and squat man with a small mustache and tiny eyes driving a horse carriage. The white horse whinnied and brought the cart to a halt. "Fancy a lift?" the driver asked.

"Yes please!" Luke exclaimed. The group clambered into the carriage, catching the attention of the locals. However, they simply smiled, shrugged and went on their way, not at all bothered by the ragtag group. "Where to?" The driver asked.

"Could you take us to the Wizard?" Luke asked.

The driver looked unsure for a moment, but shrugged after a few moments, "Sure, why not?" he said. "I'll drop you off at the service building near the Wizard; they'll get you all cleaned up."

"Thank you very much." Redoll said. The driver snapped the reins and the horse started off.

"This place is amazing!" Sharon breathed.

"It's beautiful." Lando agreed.

Luke kneeled on the seats, taking in the full view of the large city. It was absolutely stunning; Luke dared even thought it was more beautiful than Monte d'Or! He wished the Professor could see this place, all the nice people, the tall buildings, the purple horse...what? Luke stared at the horse pulling the carriage and tapped the driver, "Hey, wasn't that horse white just a moment ago?" he asked.

The driver chuckled, "Of course he was! He's the horse of a different color you've always heard about!" The group laughed as their spirits seemed to be lifted ever higher by the happy and carefree aura of the city. The driver dropped them off at the service building like he said and the group was whisked away to be pampered.

Lando was given fresh straw and hay, and even got a few holes in his clothes patched up. Sharon was oiled, scrubbed and buffed until she shined. Not a speck of rust or dirt was left on her.

Luke was bathed promptly, his hair washed thoroughly, the dirt melting off in the warm water. His clothes were washed and ironed and Trevor was even given a bath and good brushing, complete with a green ribbon around his neck. He no longer looked like the stray Luke found wandering the streets of Monte d'Or, he looked like a well kept pet.

Redoll was placed in a chair where his tangled mane was brushed and combed until it was smooth and soft. His claws were trimmed and his fur was scrubbed clean of any dirt. Soon the group exited the service building, feeling more refreshed than they had ever felt. The thanked the workers gratefully and exited back out to the streets of Oz. Now they could finally get what they came for.

"Ready?" Sharon asked Luke, taking his hand. Luke nodded, "I'm a hundred, no, two hundred percent ready!" he exclaimed. Trevor barked happily.

"Let's go see the Wizard." Redoll said with a nod. But as they took their first steps, a scream rang out, sounding alien in the happy atmosphere of the city. The scream seemed to spread across the area as people began pointing to the sky in fear. They looked up to see a figure flying through the sky.

"It's the witch of the West!" Someone screamed.

Luke froze for a moment, snatching up Trevor and watching the sky. He heard Anton's chilling laugh as he drew his sword and shivered causing Sharon to put a hand on his shoulder. "The witch of the West? What's he doing here?" Redoll asked.

"That guy chased us all the way here?" Lando said angrily. "Does he ever give up?" They watched as black smoke began to emerge from the tip of the sword. Anton waved it around as the smoke became a thin stream that slowly began to form letters. S...U...R...R…

Sharon pulled Luke close as the message soon became clear.

**SURRENDER LUKE.**

Lando took a step protectively in front of Luke in case anyone tried anything, as well as Redoll, despite not knowing what was going on. But luckily for them, Luke hadn't told anyone in Oz his name.

"Luke?"

"Who's Luke?"

"Who could that be?" The people around them muttered.

"The Wizard will explain it!" Another person shouted, rallying the people in agreement.

"Yes, the Wizard!"

"He'll know what to do!"

Lando gripped Sharon's shoulder to pull her gaze away from Anton. "C'mon, we have to get to the Wizard now!" he said.

"Right." Sharon nodded, "C'mon Luke." Luke couldn't tear his gaze away as he released Trevor and Sharon grabbed his hand, dragging him with the other people.

They arrived with the crowd of people at the entrance of the Wizard's palace where a guard with a long pompadour and a very broad chest struggled to keep people back. "Everyone remain calm! Quiet down everyone, do not panic!" he yelled. "The Wizard has just informed me that he is taking care of everything!"

The crowd immediately calmed at those words. This must be a really powerful Wizard if he was already planning something. The guard nodded, "That's right, everything is fine. You can all go home, there's nothing all to worry about!" he said shooing the people away. The crowd dispersed quickly, wanting to be safely inside until the witch left.

Once the space was clear, Luke and his friends approached the guard. "If you don't mind sir, we have to see the Wizard right away." Luke said.

"Sorry lad, but no one can see the great Oz. Orders are orders." The guard said.

"But we have to!" Luke protested. "It's very important!"

"No one sees the Wizard, and that's that!" The guard retorted.

Lando stepped forward. "We have to sir; this boy is Luke!" he said.

The guard did a double take, "Luke? You mean the…" he trailed off as he gestured towards the sky where the message was slowly fading in the wind. Luke nodded quickly and the guard nodded, "Well, that changes things." he said, stroking his chin. "I'll announce you to the Wizard, and see if he'll take you." He turned sharply and entered the large double doors.

"Good thinking, Lando." Sharon complimented.

Lando snorted, "I wouldn't call it that, being brainless and all."

"We're finally going to see the Wizard, Trevor." Luke said to the little dog. "We can finally get back to Monte d'Or." Trevor wagged his tail and barked happily. "I can't wait to go home!" Was roughly translated by Luke.

"I'll finally be brave." Redoll said almost in disbelief. "I'll no longer be the laughing stock of the forest; I'll be the king of the beasts, just like my father."

Lando gave the lion an encouraging pat, "I have a feeling you'll be one of the bravest lions in Oz."

Sharon sighed and put a hand on her chest, "I can almost feel my heart beating; I'll finally be able to feel true emotions."

Lando smiled at her, "I may not have a brain, but I know that even without a heart you're the kindest person I know." Sharon smiled and looked away while Luke and Redoll smiled at each other knowingly. Could these two be any more obvious?

The tender moment was suddenly shattered as the guard reemerged from the doors. The group looked at him expectantly but the guard shook his head. "Sorry lads, but the Wizard isn't seeing anyone today; he says to go home." Without even waiting for a response, the guard went back into the double doors and slammed them shut. Luke flinched as he felt his whole world shatter in the span of a few seconds.

"Go home?" Redoll asked shakily.

"But we came all this way…" Lando said sadly.

Sharon looked down at Luke who had slowly sat down on the steps, pulling his knees to his chest. "Luke?" Sharon asked, sitting down next to him. "Are you alright."

"No." Luke said sharply, shaking his head. "I'm not alright." He could feel a lump coming to his throat and tears that he couldn't stop as the weight of everything crashed down on him. He was stuck in Oz forever. He could never go back home; he would never see his friends or family again.

"I-I really thought...that I would be able to g-get home." he choked. "B-but now I-I can never go back." Sharon placed her arm around him and he looked up into her pale tin eyes. _'It's alright, just let it out.'_ Was what her expression said. If she couldn't express emotion, she decided it was the next best thing to allow others to.

Luke leaned into her, allowing her to hug him as tears fell from his eyes, dripping onto Sharon's metal body with small taps. "I'll never be able to see the Professor or Emmy ever again." Luke sobbed. "They're probably all looking for me...and I left without saying goodbye!"

He thought of the Professor and Emmy roaming the streets of Monte d'Or, looking around and calling for Luke but never receiving an answer. "W-What will they do when they never find me? W-What will they tell mum and dad?" He thought of his parents in Misthallery, along with Arianna and Tony, all sitting in the big house, crying for him, wishing for him to come back.

Sharon rubbed his back soothingly while Lando and Redoll sat near him, offering whatever moral support they could. Trevor lay on Luke's lap, whimpering in sympathy for his friend. But Luke was too upset to translate what he was saying. "I wish I could go back just for a moment." Luke said softly. "I wish I could apologize for leaving like that...and for being so jealous…"

He wiped his eyes as the guard had tears streaming down his face, making a puddle on the ground as he watched the heartbreaking scene from a portal on the door. "So touching...you really do love your family…" he sobbed, putting his arm over his eyes. "A-alright you four, come here!" he called with a sniff. "I'll let you see the Wizard, just please don't cry anymore!"

The group looked up as the guard disappeared through the portal and the doors opened. Luke sniffed and wiped his eyes, pulling himself together as he got up, feeling a new hope rise within him. They were going to see the Wizard! This was it! They stepped through the wide doors only to have them shut behind them once they entered. "Well, ready?" Lando asked.

No one answered and only took each others hands as they ventured forward.

* * *

**Barton is Best Carriage Driver! And Strotsky...still a pretty lovable incompetent guy XP**

**Do we have any guesses on who our Wizard could be? Anyone? Anyone at all? **


	9. Prove Your Worth

Luke gulped as the long narrow hallway seemed to go on for an eternity. He had never felt so uneasy in his life. He could feel Redoll's paw shaking madly in his hand so Luke gave it an extra squeeze to reassure him. They slowly walked down the hall until another pair of double doors came into view and slowly opened.

"ENTER, STRANGERS!" A voice boomed causing the group to jump. Poor Redoll was doing everything in his power to keep from literally turning tail and running. Luke glanced down to make sure Trevor was still behind them and they slowly entered the grand room. It was large and round and somehow the shade of green inside looked far richer than anywhere outside. At the far back of the room was a large throne with a tall pedestal in front of it.

Luke flinched as smoke and fire rose from the ground, surrounding the throne and pedestal as the voice boomed. "I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ!" His voice was so loud, Luke thought he and Trevor would be blown away. "STATE YOUR NAMES AT ONCE!"

Luke looked at his companions to find that they were all shivering madly. Luke gulped and faced the pedestal; he was the reason they were here, so he should be the one to speak. He took a few shaky steps towards the pedestal, where he could barely make out a large figure through all the smoke. Luke took a deep shaky breath and managed to find his voice, "I-I'm Luke Triton s-sir." he said as clearly as he could. "Th-The witch C-Claire sent us t-to ask you…"

"SILENCE!"

Luke jumped and ran into Sharon's arms in fright. "I KNOW WHY YOU HAVE COME. YOU WISH TO GO HOME, CORRECT, BOY?" The Wizard said loudly, his eyes lighting up a neon green through all the smoke and fire.

Luke nodded with wide eyes, "Y-Yes."

"YOU, SCARECROW, WISH FOR A BRAIN."

Lando flinched but nodded anyway, "Y-Yes sir, th-that's right."

"YOU, THE WOMAN MADE OF TIN, WISH FOR A HEART."

Sharon kept her protective embrace around Luke and nodded, "Y-Yes sir."

"AND YOU, LION, YOU WISH FOR COURAGE." Redoll was shaking so hard that he couldn't even answer or even nod. A large pillar of fire shot up from the ground before the Wizard spoke again, "VERY WELL, I SHALL GRANT YOUR REQUESTS."

Luke and his friends slowly stopped shaking as they processed his words. "R-Really?" Luke asked. Was he really going to give them what they wanted?

"HOWEVER," The Wizard continued. "FIRST YOU MUST PROVE YOUR WORTH." Prove their worth? What did that have to do with anything? If this Wizard was so powerful, why couldn't he just grant their wishes right away?

"W-What do we have to do?" Redoll asked.

"YOU MUST COMPLETE ONE SIMPLE TASK." The Wizard answered. "BRING ME THE SWORD OF THE WITCH ANTON. THEN YOU SHALL GET YOUR WISHES." Bring him Anton's sword? But that was impossible! Luke would be walking right into the witch's hands! And to get that sword, wouldn't that mean that they would have to...kill him? "THE GREAT OZ HAS SPOKEN!" The Wizard boomed. "NOW GO."

The group was in no way eager to argue with the Wizard so they slowly turned and exited the throne room. Once they were safely back outside the Wizard's palace, they let out a collective sigh of relief that they didn't know they were holding. "Sheesh, that's one terrifying drama queen." Lando muttered.

"D-Do we really have to fight that witch?" Redoll asked.

Sharon shrugged, "It seems we don't really have a choice." she said.

"But what about Luke?" Redoll asked, catching Luke's attention. "Didn't you say the witch was after him?"

Lando nodded, "That's true…" he trailed off and Luke immediately knew where this was going. "I'm going with you." he said. "There's no way I'm letting you leave me behind."

"Luke, it's too dangerous." Lando said firmly. "You'll be safer if you stay in Oz."

"I'm not a child!" Luke protested. "And Anton knows I'm here; what if he comes and attacks Oz while you're gone?" He looked at all the happy people, going about their day, their fear of Anton completely forgotten. "I don't want all these people to get hurt because of me."

_'And I don't want you guys to get hurt for me either.'_ He added in his mind. Luke looked at his companions with hard eyes, "The witch is after me, so it's only right that I go with you."

"Are you sure Luke?" Sharon asked. Luke nodded and even Lando could tell that he couldn't change his mind. "Well, it's getting late now." Lando said, looking at the sky which was starting to turn orange. "We should find a place to stay for the night."

They asked a few people on the street until they were directed to the Emerald Inn. Apparently the Wizard had already informed the manager that they were coming so he gave them a room for free. The room was quite spacious (and green of course) and had two large double beds.

Luke climbed onto one of the beds and started bouncing on it, "These are the softest beds I've ever seen!" he exclaimed as Trevor bounced slightly beside him.

Redoll climbed onto the other side to see for himself and purred slightly. "Yes, it's very comfortable." he said.

Lando looked out the window to see that it was already getting dark and faced Sharon, "Well, who sleeps with who?" he asked.

"I think it's already been decided." Sharon said softly, pointing to the second bed to see that Luke and Redoll were already fast asleep. Redoll was curled up like a cat on the bed and Luke and Trevor were snuggled up against him like two cubs.

"That was fast." Lando commented.

"It's been a long day." Sharon admitted, sitting down on the free bed.

Lando sat down next to her and noticed that she seemed a bit down. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Do you really think we'll be able to get Anton's sword?" she asked. "We've seen how dangerous Anton is, and I...I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Lando's face became sympathetic, understanding her concern. He slowly reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know it will be dangerous," he said. "But we have to do this for Luke." They both looked behind them at the sleeping boy. "If we don't do this, Luke will never be able to get home."

Sharon shook her head, "That poor boy has been through so much…"

Lando nodded, "Yes, but he's also very brave for coming so far." He said. He fully faced Sharon and gripped both her shoulders, "We'll make it through this Sharon, I promise you." he said sincerely. "And when this is all over, you'll finally have a heart, I'll have a brain, Redoll will have courage, and Luke will finally find his home; we'll be able to live our lives to the fullest."

Sharon stared at him and slowly smiled, "You're right Lando." she said before looking away. "Thank you; you really know how to lift someone's spirits."

Lando chuckled, "It seems all I can do is make things laugh, both people and crows; bloody things would never leave my cornfield alone." Sharon let out a soft laugh as well. "And besides, smiling suits you much more."

The two smiled warmly at each other until they realized that their faces were only inches apart. Lando's cheeks turned bright red and Sharon cleared her throat, a faint blush tinting her cheeks (unless it was a trick of the light) as they turned away from each other.

"Well, we should probably get to sleep." Sharon said.

Lando nodded, "Yeah, we're fighting a witch tomorrow, can't be up too late." They both lay down on the bed facing away from each other. However, unknown to either of them, a small smile had crossed both of their faces.

* * *

The next morning, sun shone through the window, bathing the room in gold. Lando stirred and rolled on his side as the sun shone on his face, not wanting to wake up.

"Morning you two!" He heard Luke call. Lando opened his eyes to see Luke, Trevor and Redoll hovering over him, sitting in the middle of the bed. "Are you comfortable?" Redoll asked with a wide smile.

Lando frowned in confusion when he looked to the side to see Sharon's face just inches away from his. Sharon was just as shocked as the two jumped away from each other while Luke laughed. Both of them turned away to hide their burning faces.

Definitely a good way to start the morning. Especially considering that they were going off to fight a wicked witch. They ate breakfast downstairs and finally, began their journey towards the West.

* * *

**Heheh, sorry, you'll have to wait until we kill Anton before you see the Wizard (insert trollface here) X3**

**Have I mentioned that I suck at writing romance? **

**RandallxAngela shippers in the house say Eeeeeeeyooo!**


	10. Captured!

In a matter of hours they reached the Haunted Wood, the location of Anton's castle. Lando looked down at Luke, who was staring straight ahead into the entrance of the wood. "Ready?" he asked.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, let's go." Luke said. Luke took a deep breath, tightening his grip around Lando and Redoll's hands (or paw in Redoll's case) and they ventured forward into the darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a castle deep in the heart of the western forest, a familiar witch sat in his throne room, chuckling with delight. "Yes, that's right." Anton said lowly as he watched the group enter the forest through his crystal ball. "Try and reach my humble abode if you dare." He rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Claire won't be able to save you this time, boy; you're in my domain now."

He turned to the doorway as two creatures entered; two monkeys with pale blue skin, sharp fangs, long sharp claws and a pair of bat-like wings emerging from their backs. They looked small since they were hunched over, about three to four feet tall, but when they took action they became much bigger and intimidating than any creature in Oz.

Anton motioned them to the window, "Take your army to the forest and bring me that little boy and his dog." he ordered. "I don't care what you do with the others, but the boy and dog must come to me alive and unharmed." The monkeys nodded and leapt up onto the windowsill. "And take care not to damage the ruby slippers, they are the most important. Now fly!" he commanded.

The two monkeys took off screeching loudly, calling their forces to them. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of flying monkeys were flying through the air towards the forest. Anton grinned widely as he watched his minions soar. "Yes! Fly! Fly and bring me that boy!" He rubbed his hands together gleefully.

Soon the ruby slippers would be his and their power would finally be in his grasp.

* * *

Despite it being day when they arrived, the inside of the forest made it look like night had already fallen. "I really don't like this place." Redoll said fearfully.

"You're not the only one." Lando muttered.

"Just keep your eyes open," Sharon said. "We have no idea what could happen in here."

Luke nodded, Trevor by his side. The little dog didn't seem too bothered by the terrifying atmosphere, but he was still on alert lest anything attack them. Redoll had all his senses on high alert, sniffing the air every now and then along with Trevor for any sign of danger. He suddenly let out a small squeak and jumped, startling everybody.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"I heard something." Redoll said.

Lando looked around and spied a large crow sitting on a branch. "It's a just a crow Redoll." he sighed. Redoll deflated in relief and looked at the ground sheepishly. They continued further into the wood, but they couldn't find the witch's castle anywhere.

"You would think it would be easy to spot a giant castle." Lando said irritably.

"Maybe we're just not far enough." Luke suggested. They walked a few more steps when Redoll suddenly froze.

"What is it this time?" Sharon asked, hoping it wasn't another false alarm.

"I hear something…" Redoll muttered, frowning in confusion as his ears twitched. "It sounds like...flapping...like wings."

"Are you sure it's not another crow?" Lando asked skeptically but Redoll shook his head, "I don't think so, I hear a lot of them, and they sound big...and I hear something else...it sounds high pitched."

Trevor then began to growl and ran up, barking at the sky. The group slowly looked up in the sky to see multiple figures flying towards them. "Are those monkeys?" Luke asked.

Trevor continued to growl and Luke picked up the words, "They're bad monkeys! They're going to attack!" The dog wasn't the only one picking up danger as the group began to back away as the angry chatters of the monkeys grew louder as they approached.

"Run, run!" Lando yelled and the group took off into the trees. The monkeys landed all around them, dropping down in different places, forcing the group to split up. Sharon pulled out her axe and swung it fiercely at the creatures approaching her, but there were too many of them. She grit her teeth and fought her hardest, trying to ignore the pain of the monkey's claws putting scratches on her tin body. She glanced around every now and then for the others until she heard the sound of cloth tearing.

"Lando!" she screamed. She swung more fiercely trying to push her way through the army of monkeys looking around desperately for her friend.

Redoll bounded away on all fours, hoping to escape when he heard Trevor barking in the distance. He turned to see Luke, running for his life from a pair of monkeys. Redoll's eyes widened as Luke tripped on a root, sending him sprawling to the ground. Luke scrambled to get up, but the monkeys were already hovering over him and reaching towards him.

Luke gazed up at them in fear when they were suddenly knocked aside by a large ball of tan fur. "Redoll!" Luke exclaimed.

"Run Luke, hurry!" The lion exclaimed. Luke nodded and got up as more monkeys came their way. But instead of running, Redoll stood his ground, ready to face the monsters. He had to protect Luke, no matter what!

Luke started to run with Trevor right behind him when he heard a loud growl from behind him. Luke knew that kind of growl; it was a growl of pain. "Redoll!" Luke yelled, starting to slow down.

"Go Luke!" Redoll yelled, his voice sounding strained. "Run! Now!"

Luke bit his lip and forced his legs to keep moving, but they didn't keep moving for long. His heart nearly stopped as he heard the sounds of claws ripping into flesh and fur ripping followed by fierce growls and yelps of pain. Luke stopped running and turned looking around frantically among the dark trees for his friends. He could hear the sound of cloth tearing and metal being knocked around. They were getting killed out there!

This wasn't what he wanted...he never wanted them to get hurt!

Luke made to run back to them when something grabbed the back of his shirt. "Hey!" He was lifted into the air and turned to see that he was looking right into the face of one of the monkeys. "Put me down!" Luke yelled, kicking and flailing. The monkey simply tucked Luke under his arm, his struggles not hindering him in the slightest. "Put me down! Let me go!"

Luke's eyes widened in fear as the monkey spread his wings and began to take off. "No! NO! Put me down!" Luke screamed. "Lando! Sharon! Redoll! Help me!" He heard barking below from Trevor and Luke watched as the little dog was easily scooped up by another monkey. "No, Trevor!" Luke pounded and kicked as hard as he could against his captor but to no avail.

"Luke!"

He wasn't sure which of his companions called his name, but it was quickly smothered by the angry cries of the monkeys. Luke struggled even more as he felt his heart sink; the figures of Lando, Sharon, and Redoll had been completely devoured by the monkeys.

Tears of fear and frustration came to his eyes as he was high up in the sky with the other monkeys. It was too late; if he got free now, the fall would surely kill him. He looked up in fear as the tall shadow of Anton's castle began to come into view.

He was as good as dead.

* * *

**I decided to go ahead and give you a cliff hanger to enjoy for the week (Ain't I a sweetie?). Enjoy the suspense!**


	11. Give Up the Shoes

Sharon panted heavily as the monkeys suddenly dispersed leaving them alone. The monkeys had vanished as quickly as they had come, leaving them alone in the dark forest. Sharon glanced around realizing she was alone, nothing made a sound. "Lando?" She called. "Redoll? Luke? Are you there?" She took a few steps, looking for any sign of her friends when she heard a groan. She perked up at the familiar tone, "Lando? Is that you?" she called moving towards the sound. She glanced around, trying to keep her fear to a minimum. "Lando? Where are you?"

She heard him respond softly. "Down here." Sharon looked at her feet to see the scarecrow lying on the ground, a complete mess. "Oh my goodness!" she gasped kneeling next to him.

Straw and hay was strewn everywhere and the bottom half of Lando's body was missing. His chest was nearly flat as the monkeys had decided that jumping on him would be the most effective way of getting him out of the way. "Are you alright?" Sharon asked, gathering up as much hay as she could before stuffing it back into his deflated body.

"I've been better." Lando grunted, pushing his crooked glasses back into place with his nearly flattened fingers. Sharon looked around and spied Lando's lower half a few yards away. She quickly snatched them up as well as a few extra piles of hay and made her way back to Lando. "Hey, are _you_ alright?" Lando asked, finding the strength to prop himself up on his arms. He eyed the long scratches on her body and the multiple dents and ran his fingers over them. "That really looks painful."

"I'm fine." Sharon said waving her hand. "I didn't lose all my insides after all." Lando chuckled as she began to attach his legs. Lando was about to help her re-stuff the hay back into him when they heard something akin to whimpering. Lando looked around and spotted the source. "Redoll?"

The lion was limping towards her on all fours, sporting many cuts, his fur ruffled and torn in patches here and there. He barely made it to them and nearly collapsed, but Sharon helped him sit upright. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Boy, they really got you." Lando murmured, looking over his injuries. Luckily, the cuts were shallow and only bleeding lightly, nothing too serious.

"Th...They're gone…" Redoll said softly.

"What do you mean?" Sharon asked.

"Luke and Trevor," Redoll answered with a defeated look. "They took them."

* * *

Anton grinned and turned towards the window as he heard the monkey's returning. One of them perched himself in the window, carrying his prize. Luke cried out as the monkey roughly threw him into the room, landing hard on the stone floor, face down.

"Well well well…" Luke's head shot up in fear as Anton stood over him. "If it isn't my wife's murderer; I'm so glad you could make it." Luke scrambled up and scooted away in fear, amusing Anton even further. "Your little friends put up a valiant effort; it's a shame that my precious soldiers had to get their hands dirty."

Luke continued scooting back until his back was pressed against Anton's throne, trying and failing to keep the crushing guilt from adding to the negative emotions surrounding him. The sounds of Redoll's voice, tin clanging, and fabric ripping still echoed in his ears. Anton stepped closer to him, his pale glare boring into him. "Now, I'll cut to the chase." he said, kneeling down to Luke's eye level. "Give me the shoes." He said if softly but dangerously, like a tiger waiting to strike.

Luke felt his heart in his throat and swallowed hard. "No." he said, shaking his head. He tensed up, waiting to see what wrath Anton would unleash upon him, but instead the witch smirked.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." He stood and snapped his fingers. Another monkey entered the room carrying a squirming Trevor in his arms. Luke's eyes widened as he stood up, hearing Trevor's whines. "Help me Luke!" They said.

Anton faced Luke, "Now Luke, give me the shoes or else," he said. He glanced back at the monkey. "You're a smart boy; I don't have to spell it out for you do I?" Luke was silent as he stared at Trevor, glancing back at the ruby shoes every now and then. He couldn't give up the shoes, but he didn't want Trevor getting hurt. Claire's words echoed in his head, _"Never give up those shoes Luke, or you will be completely at Anton's mercy." _

But...would he really sacrifice Trevor for them?

_"Don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you, I promise."_

Luke had no idea what to do; he was at a loss. Anton frowned, his patience decreasing, "Very well," he turned to the monkey. "Take that mutt and throw it into the river."

"Wait!" Luke yelled. There was a tense period of silence. "I'll do it." He finally said in a strained voice. "You can have the shoes, just don't hurt Trevor."

_'I'm sorry Claire...'_

Anton gave a twisted smile, "That's a good boy." He purred as if Luke were the dog instead. "I knew you would make the right choice." He knelt down and reached for the shoes. But the moment his fingertips brushed against them, sparks flew from the shoes, almost as if they were on fire. Anton cried out in rage as he recoiled back and crumbled to the floor in shock. His cape covered him, hiding the damage done to him, but Anton slowly turned towards him.

Luke gasped as his fingers were coal black and smoking, the skin peeling off as if he had put his hands in a blazing fireplace. "You...You little brat!" Anton snarled, his face twisted with anger.

Luke shook his head madly, "I-I didn't do that!" He protested. Anton got to his feet and yanked Luke into the air by his collar. "I don't know what happened, I swear!" Luke squeaked. "I didn't know they would do that!"

Anton growled like an animal as he threw Luke against the wall roughly. Luke slid to the ground, coughing from the sudden impact. "Blast that Clair…" Anton muttered. "Must she always interfere, even in my own castle?"

Luke glanced at the monkey to see that Trevor was still struggling in the monkey's grasp. He had to get Trevor away from here somehow. Anton only wanted him; Trevor didn't deserve to be here. He had already failed to keep Lando, Sharon, and Redoll safe. He couldn't let Trevor meet the same fate. "P-Please sir," Luke said softly. "Please let Trevor go; I've done what you wanted-"

Anton faced him with a grin that made Luke go pale. "Oh, neither of you are going anywhere." he said. There was a hint of hysteria in his voice, as if he was on the very brink of madness. "I just remembered; those shoes will never come off...as long as you're still alive." Luke swore his heart skipped a beat. He pressed himself against the wall as hard as he could, as if the structure could somehow absorb him.

"Now, how do I go about this?" Anton approached him and drew his sword. "I could just end you," Luke shivered as the tip of the sword touched his cheek, "right here and now." He bit back a yelp as he gently dragged it across his skin, drawing blood.

Anton lifted his sword, examining the few drops of blood on it, "But that would be too simple." He sheathed his sword, "This sort of thing has to be done...delicately." He gripped Luke's chin, making the boy wince as blood dripped from his cut. "I want you to suffer, have the life drained out of you."

Luke shut his eyes, trying to pull his face away when the monkey suddenly let out an angry screech. Luke and Anton looked towards the creature to see that Trevor had bitten him and had been dropped to the floor. Luke's eyes widened as he realized the door was open. "Run Trevor! Run!" He yelled.

The dog sprinted away into the hallway and Anton let out an enraged yell. "You fool! Catch that mutt!" he yelled. The monkey bounded out of the room chasing the little dog, but Trevor was too fast for him. Trevor ran down a winding stone staircase and into a great hall. His ears perked up as he heard other guards coming his way.

Following the scent of fresh air, the dog found his way to the drawbridge that marked the entrance to the castle. Trevor ran as fast as his little legs could carry him as the bridge began to slowly lift up. Trevor ran up the slanting bridge and barely managed to leap off the top. He let out a tiny yelp as he landed and stumbled slightly on the hard ground, but got up without slowing and ran out of sight.

Luke ran to the window, watching Trevor run and sighed in relief. "He got away…" he breathed. "He made it…" He then let out a yelp as Anton grabbed the back of his hair.

"That's more than I can say for you!" He growled. Luke grabbed at the witch's hand as he was practically dragged across the floor. "You and your bloody dog have been more trouble than I thought." He roughly shoved Luke to the ground, his cap flying off his head. Luke tried to keep his tears back as he shook from the pain and fear.

Anton swiftly walked past him. "No matter," Anton said. "This will all be over soon." He went to a cabinet and pulled a large hourglass filled with blood red sand down. He turned it over and placed it on a small table. "See this?" He asked, pointing to the slow flow of red sand falling to the bottom. "That's how long you have to stay alive; and you'll find that it isn't very long, boy." Anton turned on his heel and made for the exit. "I'll have those slippers soon enough."

Luke flinched as he slammed the door and locked it tight. Luke felt his pulse speed up as he looked at the hourglass that was slowly but surely filling up. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, fast and frantic. He slowly picked up his cap, got to his feet and looked around the room; there was no way out of here. He hugged himself and rubbed his arms as he walked towards the center of the room.

He was hurt, scared, and completely helpless. Luke curled up against Anton's throne and finally allowed himself to cry. "Professor…" he sobbed. "I'm scared Professor, and I don't know what to do." he said to no one. "I never should have run off…" he whimpered. "I should have stayed with you...I'm sorry Professor! I'm so sorry!"

He buried his face in his arms, when the crystal ball behind him started to glow softly. Luke slowly looked at it as an image slowly began to take shape. "Luke?" A familiar voice came from the crystal as a familiar top hat came into view. The Professor appeared in the crystal ball, looking around with a worried expression. "Luke my boy, where are you?" he called.

Luke crawled over to the crystal and placed his hands on it. "Professor! I'm trapped in Oz!" he cried. "A witch has me locked in his castle! Please Professor, you have to help me!"

"Luke? Please, answer me!" The Professor continued calling and Luke's heart sank. He could only hear him, he couldn't speak to him. "Luke, we've been looking all over for you." The Professor said, concern and sadness written all over his face. "Emmy and I are very worried; we're all worried...please, come back."

"I wish I could Professor…" Luke said softly, his tears falling onto the smooth glass. The image of the Professor then began to blur and slowly began to vanish. "No! No Professor don't leave me!" Luke cried. "Come back please! Please Professor!"

The image melted away and the Professor was replaced with an image of Anton. "Professor come back! Don't leave me!" Anton mocked before laughing. "You're never going home, boy! Your precious Professor can't save you now!" He let out another laugh as Luke backed away from the crystal ball. He curled back into a ball and wept softly.

All he could do was wait and pray that he would survive this ordeal.

* * *

**I go on and on saying how Luke is my precious child who is far too pure and innocent for this cruel world and yet I simply ADORE putting him through this shit...I'm gonna such a great parent XD**


	12. The Rescue

"That should do it." Sharon said, stuffing a handful of straw into Lando's chest. Lando got to his feet and checked himself over, making sure everything was put together correctly. "Alright, now we have to find Luke." he said.

"It's all my fault…" Redoll muttered. "I tried to help him but…"

"Redoll, it wasn't your fault." Sharon said. "You did what you could."

"And you've got the injuries to show for it." Lando added. "Trust me mate, you tried your hardest, more than either of us." Redoll nodded, but still didn't look satisfied. Maybe if he wasn't such a coward and stayed with Luke the whole time he wouldn't have been taken. "Now, we need to get to Anton's castle." Lando said, getting them back on track.

"I still can't see any sign of it anywhere." Sharon sighed. "We don't have time to search the whole wood." Suddenly, small barks were heard in the distance. The trio looked up a path to see a familiar little dog running towards them at top speed. "It's Trevor!" Sharon exclaimed.

"But...I saw the monkeys take him," Redoll said. "How did he get here?"

Lando rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious, he escaped and knows where Luke is, don't you boy?" Trevor barked and wagged his tail, running up and down the path he had just come from. "C'mon, we have to hurry!" Lando urged and they followed the dog up the path.

They managed to climb the large cliff surrounding the castle and hid behind a boulder in front of the entrance. "Luke is in that horrible place?" Redoll asked, staring in terror at the ominous castle.

"Poor Luke…" Sharon said softly. Trevor growled, obviously not pleased either at the thought of Luke being trapped in that place. Unbeknownst to them, the hourglass Anton had placed was still draining fast of sand, with Luke still at its mercy.

Lando picked up Trevor to keep him out of sight as they stared at the fortress. The drawbridge was open, but multiple guards were lined up along it. "How will we get in there?" Redoll asked. "There's too many of them."

"There's got to be a way to sneak in." Sharon said.

Lando looked at the soldiers; they were wearing long gray trenchcoats and large furry black hats. They all carried spears so fighting them was out of the question. Plus, if they couldn't take out an army of flying monkeys, how could they possibly fight armed soldiers? Lando then spied a trio of soldiers standing almost under their hiding spot and grinned. "Guys, I have a plan."

A few moments later, three soldiers were lying unconscious behind a large boulder while the three friends put on their trenchcoats and hats and picked up their spears. "Stay close, alright?" Sharon whispered to Trevor. Just as the soldiers began marching into the castle, the three fell into the line. Trevor stayed right on their heels, taking care to not be seen until they were safely inside.

They pressed themselves against the wall and discarded their disguises. "Alright Trevor, lead the way." Lando said. The dog yipped and ran into the hallway. The trio followed him through the hall and up a winding stone staircase until they found the dog scratching at a large wooden door. Luke had to be in there. Lando pounded on the door, "Luke, are you in there?" he called.

"Luke, it's us!" Sharon called.

"Can you hear us?" Redoll called.

Inside the room, Luke shot up from the familiar voices and ran to the door. He felt hope and relief wash over him like a tidal wave. "Lando! Sharon! Redoll!" he cried, pounding on the door, "I'm in here! Please, get me out!"

Sharon pulled out her axe, "Stand back!" She warned, both to Luke and those on the other side of the door.

Luke stepped back as he heard Sharon begin to chop down the door. "Please hurry, Sharon!" Luke cried, glancing back at the hourglass which was less than a third from finishing its deadly countdown. "I'm almost out of time!" His breath was becoming labored and his face was quickly draining of color.

He could still hear his heartbeat and it was dramatically slower than before. He could even feel his legs beginning to weaken. It wouldn't be long before he completely collapsed. Anton wasn't kidding when he said he wanted Luke to suffer before death.

He felt tears prick at his eyes as panic began to take over. His slowing heart felt heavy as it pumped more blood frantically through his veins making him feel light headed. He wanted to scream in horror as every second was a second closer to his demise. He kept glancing at the hourglass every moment as he waited for his passage to freedom.

Sharon hacked as hard as she could until the lock on the door splintered and forced the door open. Luke bolted out of the door right into the arms of his friends. "You're here...you're alive!" Luke exclaimed, feeling new tears of happiness begin to dot his eyes.

All the guilt and worry he had been carrying dissolved into nothing as he felt the warmth of his friends surrounding him. He felt his strength coming back now that he was out of that room. The sound of his heart was back in his chest where it belonged, beating strongly. Once again, he felt safe.

Lando, Sharon, and Redoll crushed him in a group hug before looking him over. "Are you alright?" Sharon asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine." Luke said.

"Luke, your cheek…" Redoll said. Lando gently ran his thumb over the dried blood on the cut but Luke shook his head. "It's nothing, I'm fine." He felt tiny paws at his feet and looked down to see Trevor jumping at him happily. "Oh,Trevor!" Luke exclaimed, scooping the dog up and letting him lick his face. He had a feeling that the little dog would come back for him. "You're the greatest dog in the world." He said softly. Trevor's tail began to wag so hard, Luke was afraid it would fly off.

"Maybe we should get out of here." Redoll said uneasily, glancing down the hallway.

Lando nodded, "He's right, let's go." Trevor leapt out of Luke's arms, eyes forward and ready for action. Luke grasped Sharon and Lando's hands and they ran down the hallway, Redoll leading the way. They descended the staircase and made it to the grand hall, but the doors around them quickly shut, trapping them in.

"Going so soon?"

They looked up to see Anton looking down on them from a balcony. The doors behind them opened and an army of soldiers flooded into the room. Luke picked up Trevor and clutched him to his chest as the soldiers pointed their spears at them. He wasn't going to let these thugs hurt his dog again! "The party's just beginning." Anton said with a twisted grin, and he faced his soldiers. "Kill them." He ordered causally. "Make it as slow and painful as you want."

The group backed up against the door as the soldiers slowly made their way towards them, their spears glistening in the moonlight. Lando looked around for any avenue of escape when his eyes fell on a rope that was tied to a hook right next to him. His eyes followed the rope and saw that it led to a chandelier...and it was hanging right above he soldiers.

With no time to think, Lando grabbed Sharon's axe and sliced the rope. The chandelier fell on top of the soldiers with a crash, stopping them in their tracks. "Move! Quick!" Lando yelled. They quickly ran along the wall and out the door the soldiers came through.

"You idiots!" Anton screamed. "Seize them this instant!"

They bolted down another hallway as the yells of the soldiers came from behind them. "Where do we go now?" Luke asked.

"Up there!" Redoll said, pointing to another flight of stairs. No soldiers were coming from there so it was their best bet. They ran up the stairs and emerged on the top of the castle. From the height they were at, Oz looked very small and insignificant. They ran across the top of the castle and into another tower, but a group of soldiers were already there waiting for them.

They turned to go back, but the soldiers chasing them from before had caught up with them. They backed into a corner of the tower, their backs hitting a small table against the wall as Anton emerged from the sea of soldiers. "Thought you could just slip out of my grasp, did you?" he asked. Luke backed into his friends, holding Trevor tightly.

Anton glared at Luke, "Now as reward for you and your mangy dog causing so much trouble," he grinned maniacally. "You get the pleasure of watching your little friends die before you."

Luke's eyes widened and took a step forward. "No!" He yelled. "Leave them alone! I'm the one you want!"

Anton simply laughed. "If you had cooperated, I probably would have accepted that offer." He said. "But I'm afraid you can't worm your way out of this one." The witch's eyes ran over Luke's three companions until they finally fell on Lando. He held out his hand and fire appeared on his fingertips, making Lando pale considerably. "How about a little fire, scarecrow?" Anton hissed.

He flicked his hand towards the straw man and his arm was up in flames in an instant. Lando screamed and waved his burning arm around. "Help! Someone! Put it out! Putitoutputitoutputitout!"

Sharon and Redoll began to panic while Luke looked around for something, anything to put out the fire. He dropped Trevor when he spied a small bucket on the table behind them. He picked it up and glanced inside! Water! "Lando! Hold still!" Luke yelled and flung the water at Lando. The water doused Lando's arm and splashed onto Anton's face.

Anton screamed in pain, reeling backwards as if his face were hit with acid. "You wretched brat! Look what you've done!" he screeched. Luke watched as Anton's skin seemed to shrivel up. He hunched over as his skin cracked and began to peel, while everything else seemed to ooze off of him. "I'm melting! Melting!" he screamed as steam began to rise from his body. He slowly sunk into the floor like a snowman on a sunny day until all that was left was his cape and sword.

Luke and his companions simply stared in horror at what had just taken place. No one dared to move until Trevor came forward. The little dog pawed at the clothes and sniffed the air before letting out a final yip of "He's gone!"

One of the soldiers slowly turned to Luke. "H-He's dead," he said almost in disbelief. "You killed him."

Luke shook his head, "I-I didn't mean to, really." he said. "I-I was just trying to put Lando out." Despite having killed two people since coming here, he didn't exactly feel _terrible_ about killing Anton. At least...not as bad as when he killed Sophia. And who knows? Maybe now they could be together.

The soldier then smiled widely, "Luke has killed the wicked witch!" he announced. The soldiers all threw their hats into the air and cheered. "Hail to Luke! The wicked witch is finally dead!"

Luke grinned at his companions when something crossed his mind. "Um, please sir," he pointed to Anton's sword. "May we take that?"

"Of course you may!" The soldier said graciously, handing the weapon to the boy.

"Thank you very much!" Luke exclaimed and faced his companions. "We did it!"

"Let's get back to the Emerald city." Sharon said. Luke couldn't agree more. His wish was going to be granted.

He was finally going home.

* * *

**Luke's been cooped up in that castle long enough, don't you think? **

**And finally, the moment we've all been waiting for is coming next chapter: THE IDENTITY OF THE WIZARD! **

**I'll give you a hint, one of the reviewers has already gotten it right, so if you wanna make a list and place your bets, just check the reviews!**


	13. Back to the Wizard

Getting in to see the Wizard was no problem the second time. The guards knew who they were and didn't hesitate to let them in. Luke gripped the sword, a proud smile on his face, ready to face the Wizard. They entered the throne room where the same figure stood, still hidden behind his smokescreen and fire effects. "SO YOU HAVE RETURNED." The Wizard boomed.

Luke nodded and stepped towards him, no more fear in his heart. "Yes sir." He said, bowing his head slightly. "We got Anton's sword like you wanted." He placed the sword down at the steps of the throne.

"IMPRESSIVE." The Wizard said. "YOU MANAGED TO DEFEAT THE GREATEST ENEMY OF OZ AND SURVIVE."

Luke nodded and stepped back. "Yes sir, thank you." he said. "Now we'd like you to keep your promise, please. Could you please give us what we asked you for?"

"NOT SO FAST!" The Wizard said abruptly. Luke almost flinched and ran away, but managed to stand his ground. "I HAVE TO GIVE THIS MATTER SOME MORE THOUGHT. COME BACK TOMORROW."

"What? Tomorrow?" Luke asked in shock. "But we did what you wanted! You promised-"

"SILENCE, BOY!" The Wizard bellowed.

"Luke... " Lando said warningly.

"I AM THE GREAT OZ AND I SAY TO COME BACK TOMORROW!"

But Luke wasn't backing down. Luke had been hurt and traumatized, his friends almost killed, and he wasn't going to let everything they did go to waste! "If you _are_ the Great Oz, then you should be able to give us what we want without any trouble!" He retorted. "In fact, you could've just-"

Luke cut himself off, his eyes wide. "Wait…" He quickly went over all the facts in his head, a hand on his chin like the Professor. He closed his eyes and began fitting the pieces together. Once he got one in place, all the rest seemed to fit together perfectly.

"IF THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY," The Wizard said. "THEN I ORDER YOU TO-"

"I've got it!" Luke suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it Luke?" Sharon asked, confused by his outburst.

Luke turned to them. "It all makes sense now," He abruptly turned and pointed at the smokey figure, "You're a fake!" he accused with an authority and poise that the Professor would be proud of.

"Luke!" Sharon gasped.

"H-How could you say that?" Redoll asked desperately.

Luke glared up at the 'Wizard'. "If he was such a great and powerful Wizard, then he could've given us what we wanted when we first met him; but he couldn't." he said, beginning to climb the steps towards the throne.

"So when we came along, he decided to send us to kill the 'greatest enemy of Oz' when he could've just killed him himself." As he reached the top of the steps directly in front of the throne, the fire seemed to flare up considerably as if to scare him away, but Luke knew he had nothing to fear. "You were hoping we would get killed or give up," he continued, speaking directly to the Wizard. "Just so you wouldn't have to give us wishes that you can't even grant, because _you're not a real Wizard_!"

The fire and smoke seemed to flare up more than ever. Lando, Sharon, and Redoll had to keep themselves from running up towards him in fear. Luke kept his hard glare on the Wizard and soon the figure seemed to slump slightly. "You're a smart boy." A normal voice came from the figure. The Wizard raised his hand, "It's alright Paul, you can stop!" he called.

The fire quickly dissipated as a portion of the wall opened revealing a scary looking man with hair pointing upwards and a long mustache and beard. The man, Paul, pushed a button and the smoke was blown away; the Wizard was finally revealed. He was quite burly, with curly blonde hair and wearing a deep green robe. He stepped towards Luke, his hands in his pockets, "You're right, my real name is Alford; I may be the Wizard to the people here, but I'm not a real Wizard."

"You've got to be kidding!" Lando exploded.

"You've been tricking these people all this time?" Sharon said in disbelief.

"How could you do such a thing?" Redoll demanded, sounding much more confident than he ever had.

Luke sighed sadly, "Then I guess that means...we can't get what we want after all." He said sadly. "Lando's brain, Sharon's heart, Redoll's courage… you can't give it to them."

The Wizard, Alford, smiled slightly and placed his hand on Luke's shoulder, "I wouldn't say that." he said, leading Luke down the stairs. "I'm actually surprised that you chumps didn't realize that you had what you wanted all along."

"W-What?" Luke asked, catching everyone's attention.

"I'm not completely helpless you know." Alford said, rolling his eyes. "Claire gave me a crystal ball years ago; I have to know what's going on in the world." "First of all, the scarecrow." He faced Lando. "If you didn't have a brain then how did you come up with all those plans to get inside Anton's castle? You think all those ideas would have come from you if only had straw in your head?"

Lando frowned in bewilderment as he realized he was right. Despite being told he was smart, he felt pretty stupid for not putting the pieces together long ago. Alford walked off and grabbed a black bag from the corner of the room. "What's that?" Luke asked.

"Knowing you chumps, you'll want to be reminded in case you forget what you have." Alford muttered as he dug through the bag and pulled out a scroll tied up with a ribbon. "Here, this is a diploma." he said, handing it to Lando. "Where I come from, only people who are incredibly smart are given one, and I think you have earned it."

Lando grinned as he looked over the scroll, feeling the immense feeling of satisfaction one only got when they learned something life changing. "Thanks, mate." he said. "I feel smarter already."

Alford nodded and turned to Redoll who began to shiver a bit. "Stop that shaking, all that scaredy-cat nonsense is all in your head." he said.

"I-It is?" Redoll asked.

"Remember when you were being attacked by Anton's monkeys?" Alford asked. "You were willing to give up your own safety to save Luke, and you've still even got battle scars from it." He reached into his bag and pulled out a medal. "Where I come from, those who are very brave and save the life of another are given medals, and you definitely deserve this."

He placed the medal around Redoll's neck where the words courage were written in the middle of the medal. Redoll felt his adrenaline pick up in excitement; he no longer felt afraid! "Th-Thank you!" he said.

"And finally, Sharon, was it?" Alford asked, facing her. Lando cast him a suspicious look, "You bothered to remember her name and not ours?"

Alford ignored him. "You have always had a heart, even though you could never hear it." he said. "Ever since you met Luke you've shown him love and caring that someone without a heart could never do. When he was feeling down, you were there to comfort him. You feel for all of your friends, and that's a fact." He reached into his bag and pulled out a heart shaped clock. "You may not be able to hear your heart, but that doesn't mean you can't feel for others."

He put the clock around her neck and Sharon beamed. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. Redoll then looked at Luke and realized that he hadn't received anything. "What about Luke?" He asked. "Can't you give him what he wants?" Lando and Sharon nodded in agreement; Luke was the whole reason they were here in the first place. If anyone deserved to get their wish granted, he did.

"I don't think there's anything in that bag for me." Luke said with a sad smile. "Unless you have a puzzle that could lead me back to England."

Alford smirked, "Well, considering you blew my cover, I have no choice." he said. "The only way to get you back to England is for me to take you there."

Luke's eyes widened. "You? You can get me home?" he asked excitedly.

Alford puffed out his chest proudly, "Of course, I'm a Briton myself."

"But can you really find a way back?" Luke asked, still a bit skeptical of the man's skill and trustworthiness. This was the man who had fooled an entire world into thinking he was great and powerful after all.

Alford waved his hand like it was no big deal, "Simple, we'll go back the way I came." he said. "A long time ago when I was flying in my hot air balloon I got blown off course and ended up here."

"Really?" Luke asked. "That's almost what happened to me!"

"Yes, well I kept that balloon just in case I needed to make a quick getaway; Paul here agreed to help me when I first landed here." Alford continued, gesturing to the man still sitting behind the control panel. "I'll just get that old thing ready and we'll be on our way to England."

Luke's smile at this point was so wide it could light up the whole room. "Thank you sir! Thank you so much!" he said gratefully. "We're going home Trevor! We're really going home!" Luke exclaimed to the little dog. Trevor barked happily, his tail wagging wildly.

Alford rubbed his hands, "Well, we've got no time to waste!" he said. He waved to his accomplice. "Come on Paul! Let's get that balloon ready!"

* * *

**WE HAVE A WINNER! Major props and kudos to The Mocking J for guessing the Wizard's identity of Dalston; please come down to claim your prize! Those who guessed Don Paolo will receive the complimentary prize for getting it half-right!**

**Two more chapters to go! It's time for Luke to go home!**


	14. There's No Place Like Home

Word spread quickly about the Wizard's actions. Luke and his friends were dubbed as national heroes, as Alford humbly admitted that it was their heroics that saved Oz from the wrath of Anton for good. However, the Emerald city seemed quite torn at the news that the Wizard was leaving. Luke was almost afraid that they would start an uproar, but a few comforting words from the Wizard calmed them down straight away. This man really did have some kind of magic hold over these people, despite not being a real wizard.

A day later, a ceremony was held to bid farewell to the Wizard, Paul, and Luke. The three travelers and Trevor stood in the balloon, while Lando, Sharon, and Redoll stood around the basket with the guards. Everyone cheered loudly until Alford raised his hands to quiet them down.

"Citizens of Oz!" he said loudly. "While I am saddened to have to leave this wonderful place, you need not worry about my position." he said. "As my final act, I pass on my leadership to Lando the Scarecrow, with the assistance of Sharon the Tin Woman and Redoll the Lion whose intelligence, heart and courage will no doubt lead this land to better future!"

The crowd erupted into more cheers while Lando waved proudly while Sharon and Redoll smiled and nodded. Luke felt relieved that his friends had been accepted so easily as the new 'Wizard' so to speak. As Paul began undoing the ropes keeping the balloon grounded, Luke couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He was going to miss this amazing place, despite all its dangers.

He suddenly felt a vibration in his hands, coming from Trevor. The dog was growling at something. Luke looked to see that one of the Oz citizens was holding a cat in her arms. Before Luke could utter a word, Trevor let out a snarl and leapt from Luke's arms and out of the balloon. "Trevor!" Luke cried. He grabbed the edge of the basket and vaulted out of the basket. "Hold on Mr. Alford! I'll be right back!" Luke said quickly before giving chase.

Sharon and Redoll quickly ran after him to help, but their absence caused the ropes to loosen. Paul had already untied them and the balloon was ready for liftoff, unable and unwilling to wait for more passengers. Luke scooped Trevor into his arms, giving him a glare that said he would deal with him later, but looked up just in time to see the balloon lifting off the ground. Lando and a few other guards tried to bring it back down but it was no use.

"No! Wait!" Luke cried, running back onto the podium. "Come back! Mr. Alford, come back!" This couldn't be happening! Not now, of all times! He could see Alford and Paul rummaging about as if looking for some switch or lever to make the balloon land, but they had no luck.

"I can't come back!" Alford responded. "I don't know how to steer this thing!" To their credit, they continued to try and attempt to steer the balloon back while they waved goodbye to the cheering citizens of Oz.

Luke watched sadly as the balloon got higher and higher with no signs of turning back. He could feel Lando, Sharon, and Redoll standing behind him, ready to comfort him as he desperately needed it. "Now what am I going to do?" Luke murmured sadly.

Trevor whined loudly, looking up at Luke apologetically. "I'm sorry Luke...I just couldn't help myself…" he said sadly.

Luke simply pet his head, "It's okay Trevor, it's not your fault." he said softly. How could he possibly blame Trevor for giving into his instincts? Luke swallowed as he felt a lump come to his throat, his eyes hidden behind the rim of his cap. He must have been visibly shaking because he felt his friends gather closer to him.

"Luke…" Lando said slowly, struggling with what to say as he placed his gloved hand on his head. "It'll be okay."

"You...you can stay with us." Redoll offered.

"We'll stay together." Sharon agreed, grasping his shoulder. "We all love you Luke, you won't be alone here." Surprisingly, their words only proceeded to prompt the tears even more from Luke.

"Thanks you guys but...I don't know." he said, his voice cracking. "I just...I can't bear to think about leaving the Professor forever." he said. "He and Emmy have probably stopped looking for me by now…" The images of his friends and family's sad faces flashed through his mind again as tears began to leak from his eyes. "I just wish I knew what to do!" Trevor licked his teary face as his friends all looked at one another, at a loss of how to console the boy.

Something then flashed in the sky. Lando looked up and his eyes widened. He shook Luke's shoulder slightly, "Luke, there may be help for you yet." Luke looked up in confusion at the scarecrow to see him pointing to the sky. He followed his finger and his expression matched everyone's in the square. A very familiar bubble was floating down towards the city.

The citizens parted to create a path and the bubble landed, revealing Claire in all her beauty. She walked towards Luke and his friends, nodding politely as the citizens she passed all bowed in greeting. "Miss Claire." Luke said softly as she reached him. She smiled down at him and Luke felt his hope rise again. "Please Miss Claire, will you help me?" he asked. "Can you help me?"

Claire placed a hand on his shoulder, "You don't need my help any longer Luke." she answered. "You've had the power to go home all this time."

Luke's eyes widened, "R-Really?"

"Why didn't you tell him before?" Lando asked.

"Because he needed to discover it for himself." Claire answered. "Luke, you may not realize it, but you've grown so much since coming here; you've made many friends and passed so many trials to get to where you are now."

Luke looked at the ground letting her words sink in. She was right. He had come to this place by pure accident, all because a stupid fit of jealousy. His attitude and actions had gotten him trapped in that sandstorm and in that shed, and even from the very beginning he had a feeling that getting back to the Professor wasn't going to be easy. Everyone he had met on this journey had taught him something; Lando, Sharon, Redoll, Alford, Claire, and in a twisted way, Anton.

Just because the Professor's friends were older than him and had history with the Professor, it didn't mean that Luke couldn't befriend them. Wherever he went with the Professor, friends were always sure to appear and Monte d'Or was no different. If had just given them a chance, maybe he wouldn't have needed to be reminded of such a simple lesson. "I understand." Luke said softly but firmly.

Claire looked at him with the brightest smile he's ever seen. "I knew you would." she said.

"But...how can I get back?" Luke asked.

Claire laughed, "The answer is right there on your feet."

Luke looked down at the ruby shoes, the gems glittering up at him as they were smiling up at him. He looked back at Claire, "You mean…"

Claire nodded, "You've heard that those shoes have great power; they can grant you any wish, but only if their magic deems you worthy."

Luke nodded; that explained why the shoes had rejected Anton that time in the castle. "So...Trevor and I can go home whenever I want?"

"Whenever you want." Claire confirmed.

Luke felt so happy he might burst. He could finally go home! His smile faded when he heard a small sniffle behind him. He slowly turned around to face the three people standing behind him. The sniff had come from Redoll who looked on the verge of tears, like how he was in the forest when they first met. It hadn't even crossed his mind that by going home he would be leaving his friends behind. His companions, his guardians, the three people who stood by his side and protected, loved, and comforted him throughout his entire journey.

Luke swallowed, feeling a lump coming to his throat and put Trevor on the ground who looked just as distraught. "I guess...this is goodbye." he said softly. He walked towards Sharon first who knelt down to meet him for a hug. Luke didn't care that he pressed against hard cold metal, Sharon felt warmer than any metal in the world. "I know I have a heart now…" Sharon said softly, her voice cracking.

Luke swore he could hear her heart beating, emanating the sadness she was feeling. "I'm going to miss you." Luke said softly, feeling his throat tighten. Sharon released him, her eyes glassy but refusing to shed tears. "Oh," Luke reached into his satchel, pulling out Sharon's oil can. "You might need this." Sharon smiled sadly and took it, giving him one last pat on the cheek.

Redoll was next. He knelt down and Luke hugged him, burying his face in his soft mane. The lion's tears had already started to fall and Luke's were starting to form as well. "I wish you could stay…" Redoll whispered.

Luke smiled into his mane; he felt bad for thinking it, but he was going to miss Redoll's shyness and fright around others. Luke felt his hand run up a small scar and he closed his eyes tightly, squeezing out a few tears. "Thank you for protecting me." he said a sob sneaking its way into his words. Redoll responded by giving Luke one last tight squeeze before releasing him.

Luke's hand lingered slightly on the warm fur that was greatly going to miss before he finally faced Lando. The scarecrow wasted no time kneeling down and embracing Luke who eagerly returned it.

Lando, his first friend, the one who began strengthening the goal of reaching the wizard and a large part of the reason that Sharon and Redoll were with them. If Luke hadn't run into Lando, he wasn't sure where he'd be. Luke finally allowed his tears to freely fall and cried silently.

"We'll see you again." Lando said softly. "I know it; if not by magic, I'll find a way."

Luke smiled through his tears. "No risk, no glory?" he asked.

Lando tightened his grip, "Exactly." His tears coated his voice. Luke then felt three more familiar bodies wrap around him as Sharon and Redoll joined in on the hug.

"I love you all." Luke choked. "I'll never forget you." He felt Trevor press up against his leg, joining the embrace in his own way and whining a few goodbyes of his own. After a few moments that Luke wished would never end, he finally urged himself to release his friends. He wiped his eyes, picked up Trevor, and faced Claire. "Okay," he said taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Claire nodded and stepped towards him. "Just close your eyes, click your heels three times, and repeat to yourself 'There's no place like home'." Claire began to wave her wand around him. "There's no place like home." she repeated.

Luke closed his eyes as he felt Claire's magic begin to surround him. "There's no place like home." Luke said. He smiled as he thought of Monte d'Or and all its incredible spectacles.

"There's no place like home."

He thought of his home in Misthallery, with his parents and friends.

"There's no place like home."

He thought of the Professor's home in London, where multiple puzzles and archeological finds came, waiting to be solved.

"There's no place like home."

He finally thought of the Professor, the man who had become like a second father to him, who had taught him and given him so much. He was the sole reason why Luke had gone on this journey to the Emerald city. Luke wanted to go home. Home was with Professor Layton, by his side, as his number one apprentice.

With that resolve, Luke clicked his heels three times, the ruby shoes glinting in the sunlight.

"There's no place like home."

Luke's body suddenly felt weak as the magic began to take effect. He finally allowed himself to sleep as he fell into gentle darkness.

* * *

**I legit choked myself up while writing this (that moment when you realize you wrote such strong bonds between characters and now you have to rip them apart ****TT-TT )...I hate writing goodbyes...**

**Only one more chapter and a bonus chapter so stay tuned!**


	15. Back to You

_There's no place like home… _

"There's no place like home…" Where was he…? What had happened…? Luke felt tired, sluggish, like he was almost numb. Luke could only find strength to keep muttering those five words. "There's no place like home...There's no place like home…"

"Luke?"

He felt like his head was throbbing as he processed the voice. "Luke, my boy, are you awake?" That voice...it sounded so familiar.

_'Professor…?'_

Luke stirred as he felt a gentle hand on his forehead, pressing a damp washcloth to his skin. His whole body felt heavy and exhausted but he finally cracked his tired eyes open. A white ceiling came into view and slowly focused into what looked like a hospital room. He blinked and looked to the side to see two familiar figures smiling over him.

"Luke, can you see us?"

"It's us, Luke."

Luke felt relief flood his system as he finally recognized his bedside guests. "Professor...Emmy…" he exclaimed softly, his weakened state hiding the disbelief he currently felt. He was here! He had made it back!

"Welcome back, Luke." Emmy said, her face bright with happiness.

The Professor smiled warmly as he removed the cloth and placed his hand on Luke's shoulder. "You gave us quite a scare my boy."

"What happened?" Luke asked, trying to sit up only to plop back down on the soft bed due to his heavy head, "My head hurts..." His chest also felt heavy, like someone had placed a large weight on it.

"You were caught in the sandstorm," The Professor explained. "You not only got a good bump on the head, but you breathed in a lot of sand." Luke then noticed the appearance of his mentor. The usually refined and proper gentleman looked quite haggard. His hat was off, sitting on the table next to Luke's bed and the bags under his eyes suggested that he had been here with him late into the night. Emmy looked the same, her brown hair looking a bit frizzy like it hadn't been given its usual proper care.

"How long was I asleep?" Luke asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"Almost two days; you were out all day today and all last night." Emmy answered and Luke felt his heart skip a beat. Only two days? It had felt so much longer than that… "I'll go tell the others." Emmy said to the Professor before hurrying out the door.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Professor." Luke said, but the Professor waved his hand. "No need to apologize my boy; all that matters is that you're alright." he said.

The door opened and Emmy came in followed by Randall, Angela, and Henry. Luke's eyes became a bit more alert as he gazed at them. He could've sworn, for a split second, that he had seen Lando, Sharon, and Redoll. "Hey mate, welcome back." Randall greeted as they approached the other side of Luke's bed.

"Are you feeling alright, Luke?" Henry asked.

Luke grimaced as he tried to take a deep breath, "It kind of hurts when I breathe…"

Henry nodded, "You breathed in a lot of sand; it may be a while before you can breathe normally again."

"We're so glad you're finally awake Luke." Angela said. "We thought we were too late when we found you under that old shed."

Luke blinked. "I was under the shed?"

"The old thing collapsed in the storm." Randall explained. "Dalston and his dog found you under the rubble."

"If it wasn't for them, I don't think we would have found you when we did." The Professor said. Luke nodded; he would have to remember to thank Dalston and his dog when he saw them again. Emmy propped up Luke's pillow and helped him so he could sit up comfortably.

"So, did you sleep well at least?" Randall asked.

Luke frowned as Oz immediately came to his mind. "I had the strangest dream…" he said, putting a hand on his head. He looked at Randall, Angela, and Henry, "And...you guys were there, and so was Mr. Dalston."

The three friends looked surprised. "Really?" Randall leaned towards Luke a bit. "Must have been been an exciting dream."

Luke smiled, "It sure was, there were witches, talking animals and wizards too."

_'Could it have really just been a dream?'_

"What happened in your dream Luke?" Angela asked.

Luke shifted under the sheets. "Well...I was trying to get home, back here." Trevor looked up at him knowingly. "I traveled for days and a witch kept chasing me." he shuddered as he unconsciously touched his cheek. He suddenly flinched when he felt a band-aid where his cut should have been.

_'Was it all real?'_

"But luckily a nice lady named Claire appeared and helped me. I met a lot of other friends too." he finished.

"Hershel, are you alright?" Henry suddenly spoke up. "You look quite pale."

Luke looked at his mentor and saw that Henry was right. The Professor was staring at the ground, his eyes wide and his skin looking quite ashen. "Professor?" Luke asked as Emmy knelt down next to him.

The Professor suddenly shook his head and waved his hand, "I apologize, I'm simply tired, that's all." he said. A pang of guilt reverberated in Luke's chest. _'Because of me...'_ The Professor looked at Luke with a smile, "It seems you had a very interesting dream, Luke."

Luke looked away, his face drawn in confusion, "But...it felt so real." he touched the band-aid on his cheek again. "It couldn't have been a dream...could it?"

Emmy smirked, "You didn't hit your head too hard, did you?" she put her hand on Luke's forehead just so he could push her away.

"I mean it Emmy, it was real, I know it was!"

_'It couldn't have been a dream! All my friends...they were real, I know it!'_

The Professor put his hands on his shoulders, "Now Luke, you're still hurt and need your rest."

"But...But…"

"We'll come see you tomorrow." Angela said.

Randall gave his shoulder a pat, "Maybe tonight you'll have another dream like the last one."

"The doctors here will take good care of you." Henry said as they all made to exit the room. "Just call them if you need anything."

Luke simply watched them all exit the room until it was just him and Trevor. He looked at the little dog, who was sitting right next to him. "It wasn't a dream, I know it." Luke said softly. He scratched Trevor's ears. "It was real, wasn't it Trevor?"

Trevor let out a soft bark. "Unless we both had the same dream." Luke translated. Luke smiled, touching the band-aid on his cheek again.

A few hours later, after being looked after by the doctors to make sure he was still breathing properly, it was already nightfall. It must have been sunset when he had woken up. The doctors turned his lights down low so he could sleep and he nestled down into the sheets. He looked out the window at the starry night sky as Trevor lay down next to him.

He had been on quite the journey, and all thanks to one little sandstorm. There was no way he would forget the magical land that taught him a simple yet incredibly valuable lesson that he would never question again. He wasn't sure if he would ever see his beloved friends again, or if he really was just crazy thinking that Oz was real, but that didn't mean that he would forget it. If it really was all just a dream, there was no harm in remembering it.

He turned away from the window and spied his nightstand. The Professor's hat was still sitting on it. Luke felt quite taken aback; had the Professor really forgotten to take his hat when he left? ...Or did he deliberately leave it there?

Luke smiled at the hat; he felt immensely safer with it watching over him. The fact that the Professor left his most prized possession out of his sight astounded him. Luke knew that hat was special to him, although he was yet to be told why. But the gesture warmed him. It felt like his mentor was watching over him, from all the way at the inn. Luke nuzzled the pillow and closed his eyes, Trevor's soft breathing right next to him.

There truly was no place like home.

* * *

**DON'T GO AWAY YET! I have one little bonus chapter planned out for this that's going to act as an epilogue of sorts. It should be done in the next day or two so keep an eye out for it, okay?**


	16. Epilogue: Friends Beyond the Rainbow

**This took waaaaay longer than it should've but here it is! The long awaited epilogue/bonus chapter I promised! Enjoy and thanks for joining me on this wild ride!**

* * *

The next day, Luke had made enough progress to be released. The doctor was amazed at his fast recovery, but most of it was probably fueled by Luke's will to get better. Professor Layton sat in the waiting room while the nurses prepared Luke for his departure.

\He sighed in relief, reaching up to pinch the brim of his hat only to grab air. He smiled to himself; he had left it in Luke's room just in case, he had almost forgotten. Hershel glanced around the waiting room, taking in its calming aura as he waited. The last time he had sat here, he felt completely on edge.

Even though it had happened nearly three days ago, that sandstorm felt like it had only happened yesterday.

* * *

_Two days ago, after the sandstorm ended..._

The moment Henry said it was safe to go outside, Emmy had burst through the door. "I'm going to look for Luke again!" she called as she hurried towards the street.

"Be careful!" Angela called. "The streets can be slippery from all the sand!" Emmy waved, acknowledging that she heard her and vanished into the streets. The four remaining carefully trekked down the sandy steps and into the courtyard.

"I'm going to search as well." Hershel said.

Randall nodded, "We'll help; Luke couldn't have gotten far." he said.

"Thank you." Hershel said with a nod and the group headed into the street. They searched any allies or places that could've sufficed as hiding places and asked any citizens in the area, but none of them had seen Luke.

After a while, Emmy returned to the house around the same time as Hershel and his companions. "Any sign of him?" The Professor asked.

Emmy shook her head, a distraught look in her eye. "Nothing."

Randall scratched his head, "Where else could that boy have gone?"

Henry shook his head. "I can't think of anywhere else nearby; if he didn't find shelter around here, we would've found him straight away." _'In the middle of the street unconscious or worse.'_

Now Hershel was really starting to worry. While it was a good sign that they hadn't found Luke completely exposed to the storm, that didn't rule out the fact that the boy could be hurt or lost.

"I was hoping I'd find you lot here." Hershel and the others turned towards the familiar voice.

"Dalston?" Randall asked. "What are you doing here?"

Their old friend was walking up the street, his canine friend by his side. "Checking up on Hershel's little apprentice," Dalston answered, then realizing that Luke wasn't among them. "And it seems you still managed to lose him."

Emmy's eyes turned hopeful yet fiery. "You know where Luke is?" she demanded.

"Not exactly." Dalston responded. "He stopped by the Stellar Circus and headed back here once the storm started."

"So there's still a chance!" Angela exclaimed.

"Let's look again; he's got to be here somewhere!" Randall agreed.

At that moment, Dalston's dog began to bark. "What is it, boy?" Dalston asked. The dog sniffed the ground and slowly began to walk forward. Dalston immediately began to follow, leaving Hershel and the others behind. Hershel glanced at Randall who shrugged in response. Perhaps it would be good to follow; maybe the dog had found a lead on Luke...or it was nothing.

"Ascot! Layton! Ledore!" Dalston suddenly called. "You might want to take a look at this!" Dalston was standing at the gateway of the Ascot-Ledore mansion, his dog no longer sniffing the ground. Once they approached Dalston, the dog began barking and walked towards a large pile of broken and splintered wood.

"Wasn't that the old tool shed, Henry?" Randall asked.

Henry nodded, "I was planning to replace it within the next few days." They watched as Dalston's dog nudged the wood pile, still barking loudly; it was as if it was looking for something. Like something was...buried...oh no…

Hershel ran forwards without a word, almost slipping on the sandy ground and approached the wood pile. "Help me! Quickly!" he said urgently. Emmy immediately got the message followed by Randall and Henry.

"Angela, go find a doctor!" Henry said before joining his master. Henry had told them earlier that after sandstorms, doctors would patrol the streets, on the lookout for anyone that was unlucky enough to be caught in the storm. Dalston ran over as well and the five quickly began pulling wood off the pile. _'Luke...please be alright...'_ Hershel silently pleaded.

"I've got something!" Dalston called. The others ran over to him, and sure enough, a small body was becoming visible under the wood.

"Luke!" Hershel and Randall hauled one last massive piece of wood away, finally revealing the blue-clad boy, covered in wood chips, splinters, and sand and unmoving. Emmy was by his side in an instant, carefully, turning him onto his back. The group noticed that a small dog was under him, unmoving but still breathing. Hershel recognized the dog from earlier that day, the one Luke was trying to help.

Speaking of his apprentice, he felt his pulse speed up as he took in the boy's condition. He was pale and his lips were turning a dull shade of blue. Emmy pulled her hand away from the back of the boy's head to have it come away red making the panic nearly set in fully. Thankfully, Angela arrived with a doctor behind her before that panic took control.

Hershel stood up to give the doctor some space and he immediately began assessing Luke. He put his fingers on Luke's wrist and then his neck, checking for a pulse, before placing his palm close to the boy's nose and mouth. His eyebrows furrowed, "He's having trouble breathing; he most likely breathed in sand during the storm." he said. "If we get him to the hospital, we might just save him in time."

That was all everyone needed to hear to spring into action. Angela brought a blanket from inside, wrapping Luke firmly inside it. Randall volunteered to carry Luke and they made their way to the hospital while Dalston said he would take care of the dog.

A few hours later, Hershel, Emmy, and the Ascot-Ledore's were sitting in the waiting room, anxious for the news they would receive, while inside, Luke was strapped to a machine, working tirelessly to pump the sand from his lungs to replace with fresh air. No one said a word as they waited in the quiet room.

They nearly jumped when the silence was disturbed by the doctor when he entered the room. "He breathed in a lot of sand, but it's all been removed successfully." The doctor said. "No other damage was done, but it may be a few days before he wakes up; his lungs still have to heal themselves to allow him to breathe properly again."

While this news wasn't exactly what Hershel wanted to hear, he couldn't help but feel relieved that Luke was alright. If the damage had been worse, he wasn't sure if he would be able to forgive himself, let alone face Clark and Brenda.

The group entered the hospital room, gathering around the sleeping boy. The dirt had been washed from his face and a mask covered his nose and mouth, helping his weakened lungs to breathe again. Hershel said nothing, the brim of his hat hiding his expression.

Randall wanted to desperately to tell his friend that Luke would be alright, but he couldn't bare to make promises even he wasn't sure of when it came to Luke. He hadn't known the boy very long; in fact, getting to know him was intensely awkward with him having kidnapped him and hung him on a rope puzzle. But luckily for him, Luke was a little saint. After learning of everything that happened to Randall and everything between him, Henry and Hershel, the boy forgave him and opened up to him without hesitation.

Henry and Angela had only briefly interacted with the little apprentice, but they saw enough of him to know that he was a kind and bright boy. They all silently took places around the bed, watching Luke sleep, hoping that he would wake up just by their presence alone, but that wasn't the case. They stayed the rest of the day and late into the night until the hospital closed, forcing them to leave. They had been able to stay past visiting hours since the co-owners of the city were with them, but closing time was all they could muster.

The next day, Hershel and Emmy arrived before the trio, surprised to see a familiar little dog sleeping soundly on Luke's bed next to his legs. The doctor said that Dalston had arrived earlier with the little dog in tow, having just brought it back from the vet. The dog had been allowed to stay under the hope that he would help Luke wake up faster, even though the dog hadn't woken since it was discovered under the shed with Luke.

Hershel couldn't help but smile after hearing this; he had no idea that Dalston of all people would bond so quickly with Luke. Perhaps their love of animals was what drove it? Most likely. Randall, Angela, and Henry arrived a few hours later, apologizing for the delay due to directing repairs to the city from the sandstorm.

That day as they sat around Luke's sleeping body, they silently noticed that he looked a lot better. A band-aid had been placed on his cheek (did he have a cut there before?) and his mask had been removed. The boy was breathing steadily but they were still shallow. His chest shuddered every now and then as breathing normally was still a struggle.

They waited in silence, none of them daring enough to attempt conversation, especially since it was conversation that had driven Luke away in the first place. Hershel couldn't help but feel guilty that he hadn't noticed how left out the boy seemed, ever since they arrived. He didn't even notice Luke was missing from the tea room until Angela pointed out the window that a sandstorm might be coming.

Hershel pinched the brim of his hat, trying to keep his emotions under control, but it was proving difficult. If fate turned against them and Luke didn't make it through this or was permanently damaged, he would only have himself to blame. He took off his hat and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed.

The day dragged on slowly, Randall, Angela, and Henry popping in and out to attend to attend city duties before returning promptly. Hershel couldn't describe the amount of relief he felt in his heart when Luke finally stirred, uttering the simple words "...There's no place like home…"

* * *

"Professor!"

Hershel lifted his head as the familiar boy, dressed in his usual blue garb, hurried towards him, the little dog trotting by his side. "There you are Luke." Hershel said standing up, and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ready to go?"

Luke nodded happily, "More than ready Professor!" He handed the top hat back to his mentor, who happily accepted it, placing it back on his head.

"Come, Emmy and the others are waiting for us." he said. Placing a hand on the small of Luke's back, the two gentlemen and the dog exited the hospital.

* * *

Luke nearly skipped down the street as he and the Professor walked through the city. Everyone was bustling with their daily routines, almost as if the sandstorm had never happened. Trevor trotted right at his heels, happily sniffing the air and no longer worried about running into large territorial dogs. Luke couldn't help but bend slightly as he walked and pet the little dog.

He had a pretty good feeling that he would have some persuading to do with his parents when he had to go home; Luke was so into animals that they wouldn't be surprised if he came home with a new dog, right?

The happiness of the people was so heartwarming, that Luke almost didn't notice that they weren't heading towards the Ascot-Ledore mansion or the inn. "Uh, Professor?" Luke asked. "Where are we going?"

The Professor chuckled, "Let's just say that Randall wanted to celebrate your waking up with a special trip." he answered. Luke was about to question more, but he got his answer as the location came up. They were going to Tingly Town! Luke's eyes widened and an excited smile grew across his face as he looked up at the Professor for confirmation.

Luke nearly squealed with excitement and ran up as the entrance to Tingly Town came into view. Emmy, Randall, Angela, and Henry were waiting for them just inside the gate. Once the Professor caught up, the fun commenced. He first went with Emmy and the Professor on the roller coaster, like they did when they first came to Monte d'Or; it was just as fun as Luke remembered, even though last time the city was under threat by a masked man.

He rode with Angela on the teacup ride, discovering that the woman had quite a bit of a wild side to her. At one point, Randall managed to coax Henry to go on the Haunted House ride with Luke. Henry wasn't too thrilled, but he let it slip to Luke that he was glad that he wasn't riding it alone. The ride was full of jumpscares and a creepy atmosphere, some of it fun and others managing to make Luke and Henry cling to one another from a sudden shock (though Henry seemed to cling tighter than Luke did sometimes).

Once they were safely out, Randall and Luke played one of the stand games. Luke was able to win, but when the vendor told him to pick his prize (a decent sized stuffed lion), the one he wanted was too high. He jumped but he just couldn't reach. He yelped suddenly as he was suddenly lifted up to the correct height. He looked down to see that Randall had placed him on his shoulders. Luke smiled in thanks, biting down the bit of nostalgia he felt, and got his prize.

Before he knew it, the day was over. Randall, Angela and Henry walked Luke, Emmy, and the Professor back to the inn. Trevor wasn't among them as the little dog decided to go and spend the night with Maurice at the Stellar Circus. Luke allowed it, along with making his promise not to disturb any big dogs along the way.

"Well, that was a big day," Randall said stretching. "Maybe tomorrow we could go back!"

Angela laughed softly, "I don't think you could handle that much excitement."

"Indeed." The Professor said with a smile before tipping his hat to his friends. "Thank you for today Randall, Angela, Henry."

"It was our pleasure Hershel." Henry said bowing his head slightly.

"See you tomorrow, mate." Randall said. The Professor, Emmy, and Luke started to head inside the inn, but Luke stopped, glancing back at the three friends who were beginning to return to the street.

Luke bit his lip and turned to his mentor, "Hold on Professor, I'll be right back!" he said quickly before running towards the retreating figures. "Mr. Ascot! Miss Angela! Mr. Ledore!" he called running up to them.

They turned to him, "What is it Luke?" Angela asked.

"You forget something?" Randall asked. Luke looked up at them, catching his breath, and blinked a couple times. Seeing them all together like this in the dark, he kept seeing his friends from Oz. And ironically, that didn't make this any easier.

"Something like that." Luke said softly. He stood up straight and looked at them directly, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for running off during tea." he said. The three friends glanced at one another, confusion written all over their faces.

"Luke, what-" Henry started but Luke kept going.

"The reason I ran in the first was because...well...I was jealous." he confessed, feeling his face turn red with embarrassment. It really was a childish reason to run off wasn't it? "Jealous of you and the Professor." He wrung his hands together as the three adults stared at him in bewilderment. "I guess I...I felt left out, but I shouldn't have!" Luke went on. "You're all the Professor's friends and I shouldn't have gotten jealous over something like that! If you're the Professor's friends, then that makes you my friends too! And after spending today with all of you, and having so much fun, I really do want to be friends with you! But...if you don't want to, I understand…"

Luke finally tore his gaze away from them, looking at the ground, waiting for their response. His head shot back up when he felt a hand on his cheek to see Angela smiling down at him. "Of course we want to be your friends, Luke." she said.

Randall and Henry wore the same smiles on their faces, looking quite moved by Luke's words. "Truthfully, it's our fault for not realizing that you were feeling unwanted." Henry admitted. "A sandstorm shouldn't have made us realize that."

"But that's going to change." Randall said sincerely. He placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Tomorrow, we'll have another big adventure, all of us together, including you!"

Luke felt his smile growing, "No risk, no glory?" he asked.

Randall grinned, "Atta boy!" he said. "Now go get some rest; we'll be waiting for you tomorrow!"

Luke nodded and headed back towards the inn. "Goodnight!" he called with a wave and the three friends responded in kind. He entered the inn to find the Professor beaming down at him; he should have guessed that he had heard everything.

"I'm proud of you, Luke." The Professor said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Luke nearly melted from the compliment and they returned to their rooms.

As Luke lay in bed, he stared out at the starry sky. "Goodnight Lando, Sharon, Redoll…" he whispered. While he may have lost his three friends when he left Oz, he had gained three more in their place. He snuggled into the covers whispering his mantra, rocking himself to sleep. "There's no place like home…"

He slept through the whole night with a smile on his face.

* * *

**Again, THANK YOU to all those who reviewed and followed this story! It was such a blast to write and your feedback made it all worth it! Writing this was so awesome I may consider writing a sequel based on the film 'Return to Oz' but we shall see!**

**Thank you again, and I'll see you all next story! Peace out!**


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